The Hunt
by HorrorSection
Summary: Without hesitation, his sharp fangs went for the creamy, delicate skin at the side of her neck. As he felt the warm liquid seep down his throat, he groaned in mind-shattering pleasure. The greed was pulling him deeper, deeper. He wanted, needed more. No one fucks with Uchiha Sasuke and gets away with it.
1. The Human

_I'm dying…_

This was it. The final countdown. Not only was her whole body feeling limp, her head was starting to droop and sway in the most rhythmic motion. It was almost therapeutic… in a sickening sort of way.

_Please. Let this be over. Kill me now._

She could feel her lids growing heavy and slowly blockading the light from the outside world. Voices all around her seemed to die out as she felt her grip on reality delicately slip away from the tip of her fingers.

_Please…!_

The pain was slowly fading…ever so slowly.

And everything went black.

* * *

><p>[1] The Human<p>

* * *

><p><em>What does <em>_**normal **__mean? _

It was a magnificent day in the modest city of Konohagakure. The birds were singing, the sun was shining. All was going right with the world… except for Sakura Haruno.

_You can always look it up in a dictionary and find some bland, sensible definition and I'm sure for some cases, that's the kind of definition you're looking for. _

"Sakura…"

"Mrfhgmmm…."

"Sakura?"

"Mmmm….."

"SAKURA HARUNO, WAKE UP."

"Mmmhuh-…wha-?" The worn out schoolgirl rubbed her eyes and drowsily looked at her teacher towering menacingly above her.

_My name is Sakura Haruno, and yes, dictionary-readers, this is a standard, average, ordinary day. _

While sitting in any small, wooden desk provided through the courtesy of the Konohagakure Senior High School, anyone can seem like a giant. And hell, Mr. Ebisu definitely fit the picture. With that menacing gaze, the flare of his nostrils, he was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Or so he thought. But with his oversized ego aside, he settled for yelling and – maybe "unintentionally" – spitting in her face instead.

_The invisible pole up his ass. My never-ending lethargy. This part was definitely included in another average day at school. _

"Honestly, if you're _really_ this tired, just do me a favor, and GO HOME. Your snoring is interrupting my work," he stated matter-of-factly. That nasty attitude. "There are actual students here who _want_ to learn." He turned on his heel and headed back to chalkboard to finish his in-depth notes on the next "extraordinary fictional wonder."

"Mmm…yeah. I'm sure the class was contemplating suicide like I was…," yawned the rosette who slouched lazily in her seat; cheek to palm, elbow on desk. Her eyes were half-lidded and were desperately waiting to go back to sweet, blissful slumber.

_Obviously, I'm overworked and underappreciated._

"_Excuse_. Me. Ms. Haruno…," Mr. Ebisu grumbled through gritted teeth.

Upon hearing the venom dripping off Mr. Ebisu's words, Sakura's posture instantly straightened up and her normally almond-shaped eyes turned into frightened, green saucers.

_'Shoot! I was supposed to say that in my head! Ugh, good going, genius,' _Sakura thought as she realized her slip and quickly placed her palm over her mouth. An incoming downpour of horrid, but school-regulated words and spit-droplets attacked the pink-haired girl and anything in a five-foot radius.

In those few retched minutes, she didn't know who she felt worse for: herself, or the other students surrounding her. She's the one who fell asleep during the most boring class taught by the most boring human being on the planet. She deserved it.

Okay, sue her and she'd plead guilty.

But leave the poor innocent people out of this! Unfortunately for them, their fresh, ink-written notes are going to get splotchy and moist thanks to the wonderful bodily fluids of Mr. Boring.

_But to be fair, I am just some normal girl in some normal town getting yelled at by some normal teacher. And I don't usually get yelled at by anyone, besides my mom, so this was as "abnormal" as my life gets._

He was still going at it and perhaps trying for a world record for the world's best human fountain. At this point, it was surely a possibility.

_I could say I must have the "lackluster" gene somewhere in my body or maybe my destiny written in the stars stated that I'm forever trapped in my boring, nobody-life. _

_But for some reason, I think someone up there has bigger plans for me._

_And God, or whoever else has some grand master plan, I know you're probably really busy running the world and whatnot, but I have a HUGE favor to ask. Remember when I was begging to die like say…10 minutes ago? Yeah, I would like a rain check on that. _

_Now would be an even better time. _

Was that a puddle forming around her desk?

_Please, thank you, Amen._

* * *

><p>Two hours later and wearing a new and thankfully dry shirt, Sakura found herself in the cafeteria. The noisy commotion and the clanking of sneakers on the metal flooring made her feel lost in a familiar and somewhat-comforting crowd. She carried her paper lunch bag to the same table she sat in throughout her whole high school career.<p>

Waiting for Sakura were her two friends, Hinata Hyuuga and Ino Yamanaka. Ino, the blonde, flipped her hair over her dainty shoulder and belted out a hearty laugh. The one sitting across from her giggled sweetly into a balled up hand and took a sip from her miniature milk carton. Ino turned to see Sakura coming and waved her over urgently while displaying a giant grin on her face. The happier atmosphere lifted Sakura's mood. She quickly sat down to get the latest gossip from her girls.

In between laughs, Ino managed to cough up a just-barely manageable sentence.

"Haha- Hina-haha-Hinata, tell Sakura- HAHAHA!- what you just told me!" Before she knew it, she was unattractively snorting in attempts to stop herself from laughing. It only made her look worse and laugh even harder.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked with suspicion.

Unlike her other friend, Hinata took a deep breath and tried to calm herself before saying a word. She still had a quivering smile on her face but spoke clearly, thankfully.

"Uhm…So, I don't know if you've met this guy yet…but there's a new student in my phys. ed. class, his name is Nar-Naruto…," began the dark-haired girl just loud enough to be heard over the background noise of the cafeteria. "He decided it was a good idea to play basketball…"

.

"Wait, let me get this straight. He was playing basketball…with his shoes… and no ball…"

"Yup…with one shoe to be exact…"

"How the hell-"

"I know…" The soft-spoken girl nodded in agreement. "I didn't understand what he was doing. He just…took off one of his shoes and started throwing it into the basket."

"That's…weird. Did he make it?" Sakura found this more bizarre than funny. But then again, Ino and Hinata had some interesting senses of humor.

"A couple of times…but then his shoe got tangled up in the basket." A snort could be heard in the background. Ino chimed in with more laughs and she ended up putting her head down on the table and slamming it with her fist.

"Hahah! So the idiot's without a shoe! Haha!" The more she snorted, the more she sounded like an actual pig. "What a moron! Hahaha! The people at this school do the DUMBEST stuff!" Hinata's giggling started up again and Sakura suddenly knew what she found to be so funny. The two of them laughed along, but mostly _at _Ino and not with her.

What a surprise. A student does something stupid in school; the rest of the student body hears about it less than a day later. Humiliation spreads like wild fire.

Such was life in high school.

Pointless gossip about pointless people and their pointless lives.

It was normal.

When the laughter finally died down, the three high school juniors started munching on their overpriced lunchroom snacks and drinking their sugar-packed juices. The pig took a hefty bite of her chicken Caesar salad which she vowed to have every day for the rest of her high school life until she lost 5 pounds. Hinata slurped up the last of her milk and nibbled on a soft, chewy, chocolate chip cookie, warmed up nicely in the cafeteria kitchen. Lastly, the pinkette sullenly reached into her pathetic paper brown bag and pulled out a sandwich she brought from home.

She wasn't even sure if it could be considered a sandwich. It had no lettuce, tomatoes, onions, or pickles. No cheese, mayo, ranch, mustard. Just cheap sliced bread and mechanically processed and reclaimed meat. She didn't even know if the _meat_ was 100% meat. She just knew she would be 100% sick if she had to eat this… for the fourth time this week.

"Som'ing w'ong?" asked Ino, with a mouth full of chicken and salad-y goodness. She didn't even have the courtesy to swallow her food because she was too preoccupied. Sakura looked at her friend with a morose gleam in her eyes.

"I fell asleep in class again and Mr. Ebisu tore me a new one…," she sighed and slipped her sad excuse of a sandwich back into the bag. At least talking about her morning would make her feel somewhat better, she figured.

"Wow, that sucks, Pinkie. Did he spit? He always spits!" Ino shuddered at the thought. "Remember when I had him for study hall last year? I swear I had to keep a raincoat in my locker just for him."

Sakura burst into laughter and Hinata just thanked her lucky stars that she never had to meet this Mr. Ebisu. Ino assured her that he was terrible and that he should be avoided at all costs.

"He _is_ terrible," agreed the glum and worn-out Sakura. "I mean, I can't help it if I fall asleep... I've been spending more and more time at the hospital. I can't afford to lighten up! And projects, homework…! God, it's just too much…" She groaned and positioned her head down on the table.

Hinata placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "If anyone can handle it, I'm sure you can… You're really smart, you can think of a way to get through this." Emerald green eyes met a soft, friendly smile. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah, seriously! C'mon, don't let a dumbass like Ebisu ruin your life. You're so much better than that." Ino winked and offered her own words of wisdom from the other side of the lunch table.

"Wow, you guys are the best…" Sakura thanked her friends with a corny, but overdue, group hug. The bell rang, ending their lunch period. Suddenly, everyone in the cafeteria seemed to simultaneously get up to throw out their trash. A sea of students rushed out into the hallways to get to their next destinations. The three girls waved to each other and ventured off in separate directions.

* * *

><p>Sakura Haruno could not have looked any more fitting as a candy striper. Hell, she herself could've been mistaken for a piece of candy. The apple green eyes, the bubblegum locks, the peppermint uniform. Luckily for her, the only <em>sweet<em> thing about this job was…

Nothing.

There was no pay because it was only volunteer work. The only decent looking men were over twice her age. She was stuck doing the dirt-and-grime work. And not to mention all the sick people…

"Sakura, we need you to take this stool sample downstairs for analysis!" ordered one of the attending physicians on call during this hectic night. The woman looked busy, carrying craploads of patient files and case reports, but still managed to keep her black, shoulder-length hair on her busy little head.

_'If I were her, I'd be pulling my hair out by now…,'_ thought the errand girl, sighing as if her life depended on it. Although she didn't really know many names, she definitely knew this young doctor. Shizune started working here as soon as Sakura started volunteering. She couldn't help but feel kind of connected to her since they both started at the bottom rung doing the dull, unproductive jobs. They were kindred spirits and were on their way to becoming professional workplace buddies. But unfortunately, one of them actually graduated to bigger and better things.

The candy striper took the piece of crap and dragged her tired feet to the elevator. While alone inside, she started to bang her head against the elevator door to try to save herself from insanity and slumber. She's been slaving her butt off and running around in circles ever since the last school bell rang. No homework done, no studying time. And she still had two more hours left to complete before she's allowed to leave. She sighed deeply.

This crap was seriously getting to her.

Sakura was definitely ambition and starry-eyed when it came to her future. Sadly for her, she had to volunteer for a certain amount of hours before she could even _think_ about a chance to work at the Konohagakure Medical Center, the best hospital around for miles. What sucked even more was that she didn't have a chance to volunteer sooner because the old hospital was torn down 3 years ago and just recently finished rebuilding this year. Now, she's stuck cramming all of her hours into junior and senior year before she graduates. She sold her soul for four days a week from the second she steps out of school to the second the hour hand reaches 10 o'clock.

And God, how she wished it was 10 o'clock.

After having a small talk with the laboratory technician, Sakura left the stool sample with him and went back upstairs to file paper work. After working at the hospital for a few months, she started to get the flow of things. Which floors were the busiest, which ones had the most traffic, the laziest doctors… But today, on this lovely Thursday, she knew exactly which hallway to avoid: The 5th floor psychiatric ward.

_The more people I avoid, the less errands I have to run…_

Sakura managed to duck behind a potted plant as two doctors walked by. Next, she aimed for the soda machine that was approximately 3 feet away. Not entirely mission impossible, but of course, luck seems to run out a lot around here. With adrenaline pumping through her system, she sprinted. Her bubblegum hair flew behind her as she rushed with her eyes on the prize. The next thing she knew, she found herself flat on her butt and rubbing her sore face.

'_I somehow managed to run into a brick wall…_' Sakura thought sarcastically as she regained feeling in her nose. The next thing she noticed were the dark, masculine shoes in front of her. She half-expected that a hand would reach down to her, help her up, and she would hear a "Sorry about that" from an apologetic human being. Maybe he would smile, and they would become friends…

But no.

Instead, she looked up, received a very dirty glare, and got a "watch where you're going" from a demon in human skin. Her emerald eyes twitched in anger as the jerk just walked over and left her sitting on the floor like an idiot. Pushing herself off the floor with no help from whatshisface, she dusted herself off and growled under her breath.

"Hey! Maybe you should watch where _you're_ going!" she growled. _Ha, nice comeback! That'll show 'em!_

He turned to face her and she regretted everything.

"I _was_ watching where I was going," the young man stated bluntly. "It's not my fault a pink-haired freak enjoys jumping out of bushes to fuck with people."

"…"

She was stunned for two reasons.

One, he was so snarky. _What the hell?_

And did he just insult her for her hair? _Oh no, he did NOT_.

And where does he get off with having such a nasty attitude? _Geez, someone seriously needs some anti-cranky pills, stat._

And two… He was gorgeous.

The word "gorgeous" itself was an understatement. It's hard to tell how good-looking a person can be when you are looking up at them while sitting on the floor, basking in humiliation. But once Sakura got a good, long look at his face, she wanted to invent a new word to spell out just how attractive he was. She felt herself internally swoon as she marveled over his dark, sexy, spiked-up hair. She felt herself melting from looking at his toned, well-built body. She felt like she was falling into a trance just by staring at his deep, endless eyes.

It was weird to think about, but she never felt like this before. She just wanted to leap into his arms and let him have his way with her, but at the same time, she was paralyzed with a fear. She felt her skin go cold and her whole body shiver. She was starting to get a bad vibe from this guy…

This was most certainly not normal.

The demon's heated, piercing stare was making her uncomfortable and weak all at once. Her normally spunky spirit was sucked out of her and she heard her lifeless shell apologizing quickly and obediently. Sakura turned around abruptly and only thought about ways to get out of such an awkward situation. Before she could even take a step in her new direction, she found herself on the floor. Again.

_'Damn it, am I going to survive to make it home?_' she screamed internally as she rubbed her swelling cheek. Standing before her was the chief of medicine, Dr. Tsunade. The blonde woman bent down and held a hand out. After what she went through, Sakura gratefully took it and thanked her superior.

"I guess I should watch where I'm going, huh?" laughed the young volunteer. This wasn't exactly the escape route she planned to take, but Sakura wasn't in a position to argue. She turned her head to see if the stranger was still there, probably mocking her stupidity. He wasn't. She couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a not.

"That might be a good idea," smiled the blonde woman. The chief could have passed as a 20-something year old, but Sakura knew much better. If anything, that woman was a master at rejuvenating and healing and her youth and beauty were exceptional. She was sharp, cunning, and demanded respect. Another side of her was almost motherly, caring, and inspirational. With all her abilities and characteristics combined, it's no wonder she became the chief of medicine. Tsunade was pretty much everyone's boss, and that included Sakura.

"It might also be a good idea to get back to work?" hinted the doctor.

"I'll get right on that! Sorry!" The volunteer bowed respectfully and ran as fast as she could before she could get into any more trouble. As she turned the corner, she could still hear Tsunade yell "No running!" but that didn't stop her. The sooner she got back to the nurse's station, the sooner she could…file more paperwork…

.

The tapping of her pen went in sync with the tick-tock of the clock. It was indeed mocking her.

"C'monnn…30 minutes? That's nothing…," mumbled Sakura with fake enthusiasm while twirling a pen between her fingers. She just finished filling out admission forms for some patient in the ICU suffering from what looked like an animal attack. It was weird, considering that there weren't many wild, let alone _dangerous_, animals around in Konoha except for the occasional squirrel. Even then, it's not every day that someone gets attacked by rabid squirrels. The report itself wasn't very elaborate, so the only facts she could get out of the case was that there were bite marks around the guy's wrist and immense blood loss. If he was found a minute later, the young man would've croaked.

Poor guy.

While passing on the forms to a nurse, Sakura found herself wondering about tall, dark, and handsome. Was he a patient here? He didn't really look like one, but maybe he was just being admitted…? She certainly hasn't seen him before. She was hoping he just signed up to be another volunteer. That way, she might actually have a chance to at least learn his name. Then, she started to wonder if he was busy being a fucker somewhere else and it just made her mad all over again.

After mumbling a few curse words about a certain good-looking devilchild, she thanked Father Time for finally making it 10 o'clock. After changing out of her uniform, she ran out of the hospital and she swore she heard a quick "stop running in the halls!" when she zoomed by Dr. Tsunade's office. Her shoes splashed against the wet sidewalk and she leaped over every puddle that was beginning to form. Once on the next bus headed home, she took a seat and leaned her head against the ice cold window. The exhausted Sakura watched the little rain droplets race each other to keep herself busy, but her mind was suddenly in chaos when she remembered the loads of homework she had to do the second she got home.

She wanted to rip her hair out.

* * *

><p>Dark, saggy eye bags were living underneath her dull green eyes. Her pasty white skin seemed to cling to her bones for dear life. Her pink hair-<p>

"Holy crap, what happened to you?" questioned the baffled blonde who was munching on her diet-breaking French fry. Ino couldn't believe her baby blue eyes. There was a zombie sitting next to her at lunch.

"2 Hours of homework, 3 hours for the Literature project, 1 hour to study for Chemistry, 1 hour for studying for Philoso-"

"And _when_ did you make time to kill yourself and rise from the dead, exactly?"

"I think I've been dead for this past month…" grumbled Sakura, who was half asleep on the lunch table. Surprisingly enough, fatigue and sleepless nights were routine for Sakura Haruno. But that didn't mean she wasn't allowed to complain about it.

"I don't get it…" mumbled Hinata, taking a sip of her milk. "You… don't look _that_ bad, Sakura."

Sakura lifted her head off the table. Hinata cringed but tried to smile to make up for it.

"Heh heh…maybe you just need a good nap?"

"Or a proper funeral…"

.

The last bell just went off and Sakura couldn't be more relieved. She served her four days at the hospital for this week, so she was free for the weekend. No tests to worry about for another week or so and no school to bother her for a couple of days.

_'Beauty sleep, here I come!'_ she thought excitedly as she slammed her locker. The strap of her bag hung loosely on her shoulder as her steps resounded through the empty hallways. She took her time getting ready to walk home. Every other student already rushed to their respective means of transportation, so she wouldn't be so surprised if she was the last life form still in the building.

But at this moment, she still couldn't help but be.

The large double doors of the school's main entrance looked like the doors to heaven. Before she could reach them, however, she heard a voice coming from the hallway on the right. She froze in her spot.

_I thought all the students left already…_

"Aww, c'mon, just lemme borrow a pair!" cried out a very desperate-sounding blonde boy who ran to the front doors. Judging by his lack of footwear, Sakura surmised that this kid was Naruto, the boy Hinata was talking about earlier. She could briefly recall Ino laughing about how the loser used his second shoe to try to get his first shoe from the basket. It was a mystery as to why his shoes were still stuck up there or why he would even bother to try in the first place…

"Not a chance," responded a guy with a low, stoic voice. They were really far down the hall, but their echoing voices were heard just fine. It was a huge shame; he sounded cute…and strangely familiar.

"So what, I'm gonna walk around all day with socks?"

"School's over, moron. And you're not even wearing socks."

"Aww, man, what happened to my socks?"

"How do you even managed to get dressed in the morning…"

"Without my socks, apparently!" Naruto grumbled and pleaded with his friend for money to buy new shoes. By the looks of things, his friend was already out the door and the blonde followed like a desperate puppy. Sakura was a little cautious when she reached the entrance of the school. She was getting that sick-in-your-stomach-feeling again…

"Miss me?"

"Wha-?" Sakura choked on her gasp and stumbled after being caught off guard. Leaning against the school's exterior was the demon spawn from the hospital. How did he manage to look so good? He was even more gorgeous in the daylight.

"It's rude to stare," he answered coolly, with a mind-shattering smirk.

"HA! Don't flatter yourself," she retorted confidently, but inside, she was going insane.

_Okay Sakura, you got this, girl! _

_Yes, he's hot as hell, and yes, he is really tempting, but that doesn't mean you have to fall for his rock hard body, mysteriously everlasting eyes, and his sexy hai-... _

_...Crap. _

"Care to explain why you're following me?"

"For your information, _Demon spawn_, I go to this school. And I'll have you know that-"

"You're excited to see me?" He walked up in front of her to get a better look at her face. She didn't realize how tall and intimidating he could be, towering over her in shade. It was hard to hide the pink color creeping up on her face, but she tried to will it away the best she could. It didn't work and his sexy, taunting half-smile wasn't helping out, either. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words were forming.

"Yo, SASUKE! Can ya move your ass? I _really_ need to take a crap!" yelled the impatient knucklehead, standing in the parking lot. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the moron's outburst and looked back at the little girl in front of him. She was blushing from embarrassment and it only made her look so innocent… It was making him sick.

"I'm not done with you," he whispered menacingly before he turned around and smoothly walked away.

Suddenly, Sakura found the courage to breathe again. She thanked the Gods that were probably sending her a favor that was a few days overdue, but she was in no position to complain. Her emerald eyes watched what seemed to be the most expensive-looking car she has ever seen drive away. A dark silhouette was in the driver's seat, but she could swear that even darker eyes were on her.

_This guy…_

She was left staring and wondering what just happened.

* * *

><p>The Human<p>

.

.

It starts off slow...but give it a chance.

**Please review. **

Disclaimer: I do not own anything; any part of this story that resembles popular references, logos, brand names, etc. is mere coincidence.

Rated M for language, blood/gore, and other stuff later on.

**Frequently Asked Questions/Important Notes:**

_1. Will there be romance involved?_

In short, yes...? There will be...? Love triangles, drama, and the works. It's more like dark and maybe even unrequited love, but this story is supposed to have some kind of dark humor to it, anyway. And yes, things get sexy. Like... very dirty sexy. The good kind of sexy. (As if there was even a bad kind of sexy.) But the romance isn't like all flowers and hearts and "oooh, I love you! Kissy, kissy!" Not that there's anything wrong with that because sometimes, I'm even in the mood for a good love story, but this isn't a love story. It's a tragic love story. Tragedies come first, love comes second. But it is there... to appease the masses. I guess.

_2. Keeping people in character...?_

Sakura is falling under the category of the archetypal teenage girl, but with the Sakura-twist. She's booksmart, spunky in spirit, but she doesn't really act on her spunk in the first part of Naruto. In shippuuden, she does quite literally "kick ass", but there's no physical "ass kicking" for her to do throughout most of this story, but she does learn to grow as a person like she has done in the Naruto series. But pulling her out of the ninja world, she is focused on as a not-so-typical girl (even though she may think she's typical) forced into an atypical situation and that's pretty much what the story is about - plus all the bloodshed, drama, torture, and vampires and shit.

The character of Sasuke is more like the Shippuuden Sasuke after he kills Itachi and vows to destory Konoha. The crazy, uncontrollable Sasuke, but he's still a "genius," it's just that his mind is clouded with revenge and hatred that he can't really think straight (at least that's what I think). But when he feels he needs to, he does use his common sense, but with all the other ethical issues surrounding him, he kind of just throws morals out the window. And Sasuke isn't a very loving character, obviously, because he plans on just killing people left and right hence why it's a challenge to incorporate "love" into this, but trust me, it will be there.

Naruto is a goofball and will forever be a goofball. He has a heart of gold and a good conscience despite...what he is... (next chapter, ahem), so he does have his redeemable characteristics. In the anime/manga, he's depicted as the hero, but he takes a backseat on this journey. He'll have his shining moments eventually.

_3. So, uh, who exactly is the bad guy here?_

Everyone is a bad guy and everyone is a victim. In other words, keep reading and you'll find out. -winkwink.

_4. Fan Art? Whazzzap?_

I remember I had a review about someone asking if they could do fan art for this story. And I really don't see why not. I'd love to see fan art or any other spin offs of this story or random, crack chapters, whatever. I used to do fan art for this, but I, uh... yeah, got lazy. Happens, sorry. Anyway, anything is wonderful and I'd love to see fan art.

I don't really answer review-asked-questions as author's notes because I think author's notes take away from the flow of a story (I don't know why, I'm just...yeah), so you'll notice my complete lack of author's notes besides "please review" and really urgent stuff. I'd rather you message me and I'll check my emails and my inbox and whatever else... But if it's questions about the plot of a story, expect really vague answers. Sorry. Can't give everything away. -winkwink,sexysmile.

And I erase old author's notes. The only useless words you'll ever see will be on this chapter (One, in case you're confused already...) and on the most recent chapter. Any other chapter will have the author's notes erased.

**Thank you for taking time out of your precious life to read this and if you got past chapter one, give yourself a huge pat on the back because it is probably the most boring chapter in the whole story. **

_**Happy hunting.**_


	2. The Vampire

A full moon softly lit up the ominous skies overhead.

The concrete sidewalks were damp and glistening with freshly fallen rain. Black high heels were skidding against the slippery surface. The stomping beat of her shoes reverberated along the brick buildings of the downtown watering holes. The young bartender choked on her desperate gasps. In a rush, she planned on turning the next corner to hide from her pursuer. She felt her shoes skid along the wet floor and she knew she would regret this moment for the rest of her life.

Her palms slapped against the muddy water as she fell forward. The pain from her ankle made her want to cry out to the heavens, but no one, not even God himself, could save her now. The alley way was pitch black; she could barely see anything, but the flickering street lamps that failed to illuminate the city. She quickly wiped her scrapped palm on her black miniskirt and lifted her hand to her lips to keep herself from screaming. Her soft whimpers still seeped through her fingers and reached the delicate ears of her attacker.

Her nervous panting sounded like sweet, sweet music to his ears.

Her fear smelled delicious.

The young woman pushed along the wall to get herself standing. Tears were falling down her face as the pain from her ankle shot up through her leg and up her entire body. What felt even worse was the horrid panic building up in the pit of her stomach.

His footsteps were coming closer.

He was toying with her. He could kill her in a second, that much was certain. But a good kill was like good wine: both needed time and patience. It wasn't every day that someone would run away, let alone try_._ Even so, the funny part was that he didn't even have to do anything. He was just enjoying a moonlit walk, 2 feet behind her. Her own paranoia created her fear. He didn't say a word. But it didn't matter. He loved the look of sheer terror on her face. Nothing looked more appetizing.

His dark, lifeless eyes watched the poor, poor girl attempt to shuffle away with what was left of her spirit and dignity. It was so pathetic; it almost made him want to laugh.

She limped faster down the alley way, but the effort was useless. Her sobs were growing louder the closer he came. Luckily for her, she was able to muster up enough strength to make it around another corner. She pressed her back against the brick wall that separated her from death. But before she could breathe out a sigh of relief, the hooded killer was in front of her, fangs bared.

"Going somewhere?"

"Pl-please…!"

A blood-curdling scream rang out into the night.

* * *

><p>[2] The Vampire<p>

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><p>Even after years and years of merciless killing, Sasuke still felt the same way every single time he killed someone. A burning hatred like no other surfaced because he absolutely detested the clean-up. Today's society, with all their fancy medical books and modern detectives, made it just a bit harder to hide the crime scene.<p>

He was careful to completely drain each and every body. He also made sure to always bring his trusty sword, Kusanagi, a treasured Uchiha artifact that can cut through almost anything; that includes human bones. The sharp edge would slash any part of the body that would lead to any form of identification. The remainders would be sliced up into mincemeat and thrown into the nearest ocean. He figured the sharks would have their way with it, and then he'd walk away satisfied.

But today, he was anxious.

This was already his tenth kill in the first week since he's been back. He was killing dangerously fast, but he needed the nutrients like humans needed air. What made it worse was that the incessant burning sensation in this throat still wasn't going away. It only made his thirst insatiable. It was easier to manage the undying need when he was farther away from this place. But years ago, when he first picked up on the peculiar and very distinct scent, he was drawn back.

Slowly, but surely.

Now, every little chase in between was just making him crave for his unknown target. Being the master hunter that he is, it would be no problem to just track down his special prey and pounce.

But the marked scent kept disappearing.

It was surely annoying. After he finally calmed down, his senses would pick up the special aroma and he'd go berserk all over again. On the bright side, the scent reappeared faster lately and it did not show any signs of slowing down. All he needed to do was to wait for the right time…

Once again, Sasuke managed to walk away with a flawless clean up. The only anxiety he was having was whether this woman would be missed… or the last girl he killed, or the teenage boy before that? Will townsfolk notice them missing? Will they call the authorities?

_Shit._

The bloodsucker managed to pick up the sound of footsteps coming, fast. He turned his attention towards the nearest building and his eyes landed onto the rooftop. Before he could blink, the trespasser touched down in front of him. He was not surprised or amused.

_Double Shit._

"Wow… REALLY? You couldn't even leave anything for me?" yelled the starving, blabbermouth vampire. "Not even one drop?"

"You're too slow." Sasuke wiped down the Kusunagi and slide it back into its sheath. He walked passed Naruto, who left his raucous mouth hanging open.

"C'monnn! I haven't had anything in days…"

"You'll manage."

"Gaaah! You're a major douchebag, ya kn- Hey, hey, wait. Where ya going!" Naruto ran after his cold-blooded friend.

"Do you ever shut up? The whole town is going to hear you," he spat. His anxiety was just getting worse with his big-mouthed friend running around with him.

"Nah, don't sweat it. I'm sure you killed everyone here, anyway!" laughed the blonde. He was mocking the Uchiha's constant killing sprees which were weird, even for him. He was acting like a woman on PMS, only he's craving hemoglobin and not Super Chunky Rocky Road ice cream. Sasuke never told his friend about the random covetous urges for god-knows-what-it-is. He could foresee Naruto poking fun at him even more if the idiot knew that the great Uchiha was having trouble controlling himself.

The irritated Sasuke just rolled his eyes and started towards home. He knew he'd be in trouble again in a few hours from now because his desire to kill would rise up and take another life. He had to stop, but with the combination of his constant fatigue and thirst without his precious blood, he couldn't. He needed a new plan and he had to think of one fast before he exposed himself as the monster he really is.

.

It was safe to say that at 3 in the morning, 99.9% of the city's population was pleasantly snoozing the night away. This did not include the occasional drunkards who were stumbling their way out of the local bars, or the stressed out university students struggling to make the due date for their next big paper. This also did not include Naruto Uzumaki, the biggest annoyance.

Ever.

"Can you shut the hell up?" bellowed the annoyance's best friend who was on the other side of the house. Even with two very large pillows pressed against his ears, Sasuke could still hear the yells and screeching from the living room. Sometimes, superb hearing was a blessing and a curse.

"Dude, calm down! I almost DESTROYED this level! I swear I can finish the game before sunrise, Believe it!" Naruto's blue eyes were glued to the colossal, plasma screen television; his tongue was sticking out of his mouth in concentration. His fingers were moving at the speed of light as he pressed the buttons on his controller. "Hell yeah! Level 27! Betcha can't beat that, SASGAY!"

_Alright… He's dead. Again._

Vampire sarcasm. Classic.

The cranky, dark-haired menace rose from his bed with the intent to kill. He shuffled his tired feet down the hall and into the living room. He cracked his knuckles just loud enough to get the videogame-addict's attention. The poor idiot turned around.

"Oh hiya, Sasgay. How was your beauty sle-"

Pow. Right in the kisser.

Naruto fell off the couch and tumbled a few feet away, onto the floor. He had the delightful experience of tasting the plush, white carpet of the Uchiha estate. He smashed into the coffee table and the gaming system that was lying on top of it fell to the floor as well, shutting off.

"What? Oh man! What the hell was that for? That hurt…" Miraculously, Naruto was able to jump back up on his feet, but still felt the throbbing all over his face.

"Don't you have school tomorrow?" answered Sasuke. He crossed his arms over his chest and just gave him the death glare. It was too bad the new high school student was so used to it that he developed some superhuman immunity.

"Yeah? So? I'm not tired. I can stay up all night!" Naruto stuck his tongue out. Sasuke wanted to cut it off. But he restrained himself.

"You're annoying, go to sleep." And with that, Sasuke made his way back to his room.

"Geez, sorry _Mom_," grumbled the disgruntled gamer.

Was it weird that Naruto wasn't going back to his apartment at 3 in the morning? It would be, but when his longtime friend, Sasuke Uchiha, moved back to Konoha a couple of days ago, the excited little freeloader could not be happier. He was overdue on his rent, the recent rainstorms have been screwing with his ceiling, and his power was cut off. Not exactly the life of luxury.

Then, here came Mr. Moneybags with a history of wealth.

Sasuke Uchiha. He was born into one of the riches families in history. They were powerful and respected…

And not to mention, a horde of heartless vampires.

The Uchiha clan was powerful in every sense of the word. They were highly respected for their social status and prestige after they took part in settling the original town of Konoha thousands of years ago. Sasuke was born into the blood-sucking family sometime afterwards and grew up there. He moved away for a few decades, but now he was back in town, ready to shake things up.

It's too bad Naruto was a huge leech.

"Heyyyyy, bastard! You got anything to drink 'round here?" yelled the freeloader, busy raiding what was left of the fridge. Some water, eggs, and a whole lot of nothing. "And why 're you sleeping so much, anyway? You're a vamp, you can't get tired out that easy!"

True. Being a vampire had its perks.

For starters, the vampire body evolved in a way where it used "life-plasma" – vampire blood – to transport the digested human blood to fuel beyond-human muscles and organs. Human blood became the new oxygen and the new energy source for these timeless creatures and any kind of blood was good enough to drink.

With this new system in place, it was easy to get carried away. No muscle cramps, no aches or pains, no muscle degeneration. Perfect for living hundreds of years without breaking a sweat. It's not a surprise to know that these creatures of the night enjoy sleeping about once a week.

So why was the great Sasuke Uchiha sleeping just about every day…like a _human?_

"Shut up and leave me alone." His teeth were grinding against each other in irritation. The dark, animalistic side of him wanted to let his instincts take over and rip the idiot's head off. But he wouldn't do it. Too messy.

_There's a time and place for everything…_ and right now, it was time to go to sleep.

Ever since he moved back to Konoha, he's been feeling drained. At first, the Uchiha figured it was from traveling or just dealing with the blonde the moment he stepped foot into the city, but it was definitely something else. Something that was bothering him and he knew this is why he needed to come back.

Every superhuman sense was heightened and every nerve was on edge. His auto-alert instincts were going haywire and they were draining him 24/7 to the point where he was picking up sleeping habits from an eternity ago. Whatever was causing this madness was certainly trying to get his attention. And it was working. The sensation would act up in certain parts of town during certain parts of the day and it was driving him crazy not knowing what it was. But he knew the closer he would get to the source, the stronger the killing-urge would grow. And once the bloodlust was at its peak, he would know what to do.

He would kill it, whatever _it_ was. Tear it up without batting an eyelash. No mercy. He'll teach that damn lifer to never ever fuck with an Uchiha.

He didn't care if he had to kill a young boy or girl. A lonely middle-aged man. A homeless drunk. Even the crippled old lady down the street. It didn't matter because even if they weren't his main target, they were all on the to-do list anyway. Sasuke was burning fuel faster than usual which means more little pit stops on the way. A kill here, a kill there…

And that didn't bother him one bit.

He was bred and programmed in every way to be the perfect killing machine. The strength, the stealth, the senses. Even his irresistible looks were a part of the grand master plan. The only problem was that the more he killed, the higher the risk of getting caught. And if that ever happened… that's when shit really starts to hit the fan.

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><p>It's been a week since Sasuke's last meal. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but for Sasuke, it was close to a miracle. He's been trying to suppress the impulses with willpower… and tomatoes. The weak, smooth skin of a tomato reminded him of human flesh, and the fruit's goopy insides reminded him of…goopy human insides. Biting into one reminded him of biting some live prey… But seriously, it was mostly the willpower.<p>

The deprived vampire sat at his marble kitchen counter and had a staring contest with the last tomato in his whole estate. He cringed knowing that once this succulent fruit was gone, his killer pangs would come back to haunt him… Then, he heard the door slam open.

It was Naruto, back from school. Without hesitation, the schoolboy sped into the kitchen.

"Uh, Sasuke… I think I did something bad…," he reported apprehensively.

"Define _bad_." It was during that moment when Sasuke noticed the bloodstains on the blonde's face. "Did you _kill_ someone? In broad daylight? How stupid can you get?"

"I- I didn't think it would be a big deal! He was alone, no one would've seen us!" Naruto's arms were flailing in his panic. "And I was hungryyy!"

"And people saw you? I mean this when I say it: Worst vampire EVER."

"No no! No one saw us, but he yelled and shit, and then cops were coming, and mannn… I'm screwed, aren't I?"

"_You_? Try _us_, you idiot!" Sasuke stomped over to the "worst killer ever" and pounded a fist into the back of his head. "So, where's the body now?"

"Uh…the hospital…?" the schoolboy laughed nervously.

"What? He's. Still. _Alive_?" he hissed bitterly. He was so aggravated; he wanted to send Naruto to the hospital along with his little meal, or better yet, to his long-awaited grave. A deep, malevolent growl erupted from the Uchiha's throat. "I need to _kill_ something…"

He used his forefinger and thumb to rub the throbbing temples by forehead. His week-long starvation wasn't helping his mood one bit.

"Please, not me!" wept Naruto. He _was_ screwed and he knew it before he even set foot inside the house. He closed his eyes shut and waited to get clobbered in the head, but it never came…not even one hit. Then, he opened one eye cautiously, but Sasuke was just standing there, thinking.

"Uh… Sasuke?" He inched closer to his deep-in-thought housemate.

"You said the guy was in the hospital, right?"

"Yeah? What of it…?"

Sasuke had an idea on how to stop his killing sprees…for now.

"Then that's where we're going to go," answered the hungry assassin, with a killer smirk gracing his lips. He headed towards the front door with a plan already in mind.

"Wait! I can't go with you!"

"Why's that?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Uhm…I don't have shoes…"

"What. The. Fuc-"

"It's a long story…Just go without me…"

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><p>After rearranging Naruto's face, Sasuke found himself standing in front of his destination: the Konohagakure Medical Center. The building was different since the last time he's seen it. It looked brighter, even in the dark. Maybe it would help patients think twice before committing suicide…? He figured it was about time the old structure was torn down; it was there since the day he was born.<p>

He took a step through the automatic doors and kept a grip on the strap of his dingy-colored backpack. It was empty and necessary for his secret mission. He kept a calm façade, even though he was dying to hunt down each and every person in the lobby. One of the medical secretaries at the front desk looked like she needed 200 hours of sleep, or at least a cup of coffee or two. The other one on duty went up to the conniving vampire with a flushed look on her face.

"Umm…Good evening sir, wha-what are you in for?" she asked timidly. He didn't need his superior sight to see she was shaking as she held onto a patient chart.

He put on a charming half smile and played a role.

"Hey," he purred as he took a step closer to her. She took a step back in response and looked down. She was incredibly shy and bashful and it only made his job a lot easier.

"Don't be shy, I won't bite." He took her chin in his hand and lifted it up to let her see his perfect face. Her chocolate colored eyes looked so astonished. The lucky girl; Sasuke Uchiha was the best looking man she has ever seen. She was melting under his gaze.

_God, this is too easy…_

"Uh, sir? Ca-can I…help you with something?" She stuttered nervously. The secretary was feeling faint just by standing close to him.

"Actually, you can." At that moment, his endless black eyes turned blood red. Three black tomoes appeared, and spun in a quick moving circle around his pupil. He knew his Sharingan, the Uchiha bloodline technique, would come in handy. The woman was already under his spell.

"I need you to direct me to the blood bank," he demanded to the mind-controlled drone. She responded in a monotonous tone.

"Perfect, then I have some business to do upstairs. That's not a problem, is it?" She shook her head slowly and walked back to the front desk. Sasuke would have been an excellent acting coach because the woman was doing a phenomenal job keeping up her role.

Sasuke figured that this was the easiest and cleanest way to avoid confrontation. It was especially easy when the target was already in love at first sight and would do whatever you say regardless of the mind control. He seemed to have that kind of effect on the ladies. The mind-control on the secretary was programmed to last until he left the hospital, so he figured he had all the time he needed.

Sasuke's plan was in full motion and going smoothly. It was a piece of cake to control the male doctors and even easier to mess with the females. The scheming genius was careful enough to let the doctors act somewhat natural to avoid suspicion. In a few minutes, he was able to clear out the hematology department that stood in the way of the blood bank.

He entered the deserted laboratory and saw several test tubes that were neatly lined against the wall. There was row of microscopes with bone marrow slides and blood films clipped underneath, ready for examinations. Even though he couldn't see it, the vampire could already smell the bags of blood on the other side of the wall. He crossed the room and opened the door. A cold gust of wind surrounded him as he walked in. The entire room was like an oversized refrigerator. Smaller, actual refrigerators carried and organized the different kinds of blood. But a starved vampire wasn't one to be picky. He just grabbed whatever he could and stuffed it into his backpack.

His plan was perfect. No more lives to take. No more chances of getting caught. If anything, he'd be caught as a sick, demented thief, but at least he wouldn't be exposed as a vampire. He'd be in much more trouble if the latter were to occur. Something much worse than prison…

Plus, it was all donated blood anyway, right? The hospital can get more of it whenever they needed it…

With a fully stuffed knapsack, the blood bandit was ready to walk out of the medical center, satisfied with a job well done. He was already fantasizing about taking a long, gratifying sip from his first blood bag. It wasn't as good as the fresh stuff, but hey, he was a little excited. Not that he would admit it out loud, anyway.

He passed by two manipulation-free hematologists on their way back to the lab. He wondered if they would even notice 30 packs of donated hemoglobin were missing. Not that he really cared; if cameras were linking him to the scene of the crime, he already thought ahead by convincing the security guard to delete all tapes from today. Nothing was going to go out of plan.

Except for the excruciating burn flaring up in his throat.

_**It**__'s here._

His target was in this very building. He no longer yearned for stale, bagged blood.

No.

He wanted it warm. Fresh.

The piece of shit that has been tormenting him was _here_. And close. He could _smell it._ He could already _taste _how exceptional the meal would be. How satisfying. He's been waiting for this moment… and the chase was only making it tastier. And it was only getting closer. So _close._

_3 feet._

_2 feet._

_1_…?

He heard a thud and a quick gasp. His ravenous eyes darted to the floor and…

"Watch where you're going."

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><p>The Vampire.<p>

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**Please Review.**


	3. The Fear

He took one look at the girl and was truly insulted.

_THIS is it?_ He thought angrily as he examined Pinkielocks, the candystriper, lying on the floor. _This random teenage girl is the reason why..?. _His power, his self-control, his pride? Sucked away because _this girl_ has some kind of pull on him?

There's no way. No way in hell.

The vampire walked around her and figured his mark was somewhere or _someone_ else. His senses could still feel it. The fire in his throat wasn't allowing him to just walk away. He _needed _this. This specific taste he's been craving for, but could never find. This hidden delicacy that's been evading him for years. Every nerve in his body was ablaze, calling out to him to follow the right direction. All he needed was a sign…

"Hey!"

And he got one.

"Maybe you should watch where _you're_ going!"

He had never felt a stronger urge _to kill_.

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><p>[3] The Fear<p>

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><p>The urge.<p>

It wasn't from anger. It wasn't from annoyance. It was from _her_.

_This stupid girl. _

The fire was spreading wildly. It was now crawling under his skin, pushing every muscle fiber in his body to act. The whole room shot up a billion degrees the moment she spoke. He wanted to pierce through her skin and rip out her throat so she would never speak another word ever again. The second her blood was boiling, the second he felt this unbearable agitation. Before he even had a chance to act, a billion ways to suck her dry ran through his mind. He can do the classic bite-on-the-wrist. The ripping of appendages. He could let heads roll.

God, it didn't matter. He just wanted to yank on her cherry pink hair, tilt her head back and take a long, luscious bite on her creamy, porcelain skin...her nice slender neck…

God, this bitch was fucking with him.

"I _was_ watching where I was going. It's not my fault a pink-haired freak enjoys jumping out of bushes to fuck with people."

Damn her.

He needed another plan. A plan to get rid of her, to finally be free of this burden. He couldn't take it anymore. Sure, he could just slaughter her right here, in a hospital…full of people. No, no, that would be unreasonable. He would get caught. He would cause a panic. He really couldn't take it anymore. But then, her bubbly, emerald orbs were staring right into his.

_Perfect._

Manipulation. The blackness from his eyes melted away to reveal a crimson illusion, the Sharingan. He began to put her under as she kept her eyes locked on him. Commands were sprouting in his mind, sending signals to her through his ocular powers.

_Walk out of here, and never look back.…_

Lure her out of here. Easy enough. It worked on over half the hospital staff. She'll just feel a sudden urge to walk outside, into a dark alley, all alone…And judging by the glaze in her eyes, she was already falling for his looks and everything she can get her eyes on. Then this should work out, right? …Right?

Then why the hell wasn't she moving?

His glare just intensified, but nothing changed. Who was this girl? Did she know he was a vampire? What is she? At that moment, he had another whiff of her.

A saccharine aroma: fear.

_She's…scared of me?_

.

In the natural world, the prey learned to run, to hide, to escape from a predator. In the unnatural world of the supernatural, the prey never gets the chance to run. Once a human, male or female, gets trapped in the eyes of a vampire, all hope is lost. If you're lucky enough to be blind, you'll just get pulled in by a vampire's alluring smell or sensual voice. If you're a potato who lost all senses, consider yourself dinner anyway. You'll be frozen in place, mesmerized, no matter what you do.

Death is certain.

But not every kill is the same way. There are the easy ones that look you straight in the eye, fall deep under manipulation and let you feed on them until they drop. Then there are the exceptions.

It's the rare exceptions that make the hunt more amusing. It's the thrill of the chase. The exotic moment when human-generated _fear_ decides to creep under the skin and control the fragile mind.

_Fear_ is a vampire's delicacy.

But fear tells you to run. Not to stand and stare. Not to marvel at the beauty or to enjoy the smell. The fear overpowers the appeal of a vampire. It defeats the manipulation.

So he, Sasuke Uchiha, stood there.

Defeated.

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><p>By dawn the next morning, Sasuke had gone through five blood bags courtesy of the Konoha Medical Center. The drained plastics were carelessly thrown into a disheveled pile onto his side table. Even with fuel in his system, he was still tired enough to crash on his very welcoming bed. Instead, he was just sitting on it, arms across his chest and his legs spread out in front of him, glaring at the wall.<p>

He was too pissed to fall asleep.

He had to let his pink-haired target go and he still didn't understand why. It was eating at him, almost as much as the killer need to just find her again, hope she's alone, and sink his fangs into her. He knew her fear saved her from compulsion. Her human instincts were able to convince her that he was not good news. Basic vampire 101.

_But how was she even able to feel scared?_

She had no idea he was a vampire. The second she looked into his eyes, she should've been drawn to him, making the compelling so much easier. And yet, she was still able to resist it. She was still able to feel fear. It would make sense if she didn't have a look at him, didn't hear his voice, or anything, but _she did_.

_Damn it_, he cursed as he rubbed his temples. The whole thing was giving him a headache. The more he thought about it, the more confused he got. Was it her? Was it him? _Damn it…_

What made things worse was that he did not even know how things got this far. How did he even acquire her as a target in the first place? He has never met this girl in his entire dead-life.

Suddenly, Sasuke remembered stories his mother told him about hunting. He recalled that she would talk about elder generations who took advantage of the natural vampire impulse to hunt. The predator would pick any human for any reason as their mark. Instantly, the lifer's scent becomes oddly distinctive and easily detectable even when the target was standing in a crowd. The vampire then becomes obsessed with pursuing their prey until the living bloodbag provided its last drop of blood. He could relate to every symptom in every possible way. It was understandable for the old folks to busy their lives with following just one human for a few meals because back then, hunting was necessary.

In the past, mortals were generating an obsession over the occult: witches, demons, curses, spells…and vampires. Bloodfeeders would have found trouble hiding in olden society if humans would drop dead constantly, with fang marks all over. It was bad enough that mass killings like witch trials and demon exorcisms were popular at the time. So, vampires learned and adapted to feed on a person more than once before just slashing their heads off. Think of it as being eco-friendly in a twisted sort of way.

But to hell with being eco-friendly.

Modern society shunned the supernatural and started believing in the sciences instead of the spirits. They would assume murder instead of voodoo, assault instead of hexes. It was safer to just kill freely these days. Why waste time trying to find the same person over and over again when there are about 7 billion other entrees to try? The more the merrier.

So, this left the brooding, spiky-haired bloodsucker to wonder how this could've happened. The last time he ever attempted to hunt was decades ago, and his target would have most certainly died by now. So when did this ditzy, cherry-haired, jade-eyed freak manage to get into his head?

.

Sometime between dawn and seven in the morning, Sasuke fell asleep whether he planned to or not. One hand was sprawled over his face and his other lay over his unmoving chest. In a second, both hands curled into fists when boisterous, incessant knocks on his bedroom door woke him. He unlocked and pulled open the door to see Naruto, up and ready to tackle another day at school. The blonde had on a wide ear-to-ear grin on his bright and excited face, which meant he was ready to ask for a favor.

"Hey, best buddy… how was your good night's sleep?" Naruto liked to ease the tension with some friendly gestures such as asking how the weather was or how well his best pal in the whole wide world slept.

"…" Sasuke chose not to respond and kept his tired, lifeless eyes on his "best buddy". He wasn't entirely sure if he was falling asleep standing up, but he could feel himself drifting in and out of a dream sequence that included Naruto's head on a spear, on fire, or a combination of the two.

"Man…you're just so cool. I wish I was just like you…", the schoolboy sighed dreamily. After easing tension, Naruto would make it to faze two: try to throw in a compliment or two to get on Sasuke's good side which was almost nonexistent. "Did you know that-"

"What do you want, Naruto?" asked the Uchiha, who was already bored with this ass-kissing routine. His freeloader friend does it almost every week.

"Phew, thank god you caught on! I was running out of good stuff to say about you…"

Not the best thing to say to someone when you want to ask for an act of kindness. Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Uh, right! Anyway, can I borrow some money for-"

SLAM.

Hello. Naruto's face, meet Sasuke's bedroom door.

"Aw c'mon, man! Cut me some slack!" came a disembodied yell and pounding on the door.

"Hmm… let's see. I let you live in my house…I let you use my electricity and water which YOU didn't even have in your hellhole you called an apartment…" Sasuke lifted up a finger as he counted all the times the leech needed a favor. He concluded that he didn't have enough fingers.

"I need shoes for school! Have a heart!"

The Uchiha could hear the melodramatic sobs from the other side of the door and it only made him turn the lock in response.

"Not my problem. You're the one who decided to go to school in the first place," an idea that still boggled his mind. He wondered why Naruto would even bother. The homework, the classwork, and not to mention, it's like surrounding yourself with potential dinners. Why torture yourself like that?

Considering his current, unpredictable state, Sasuke was a ticking time bomb if he surrounded himself with that many people. Crowded hallways, classrooms, locker rooms… In a way, Naruto _was_ more suitable for the schooling experience, but it was still a mystery how a creature as old as Naruto could still fail 11th grade trigonometry.

"Bah! Fine then! See if I care! Bastard!" he yelled as he banged obnoxiously against the door as a last ditch effort and stomped as loudly as he could until he reached the estate's entrance. Sasuke could still hear grumbled curse words in the distance.

Sasuke just sighed roughly and bent down to reach a miniature freezer that carried more hospital blood baggies. He popped the cap off, lay on his bed, and stared at the wall. Then he realized why a dead last, know-nothing, knucklehead would ever want to go back to high school for the thousandth time in his undead life…

He was so damn bored.

* * *

><p>He wasn't sure what possessed him to do it, but he jumped into his glossy, custom-made ride from Otogakure, his previous destination before he travelled into Konoha. Now, his destination was to Konoha High. He slid into the black leather seats of his Oto-Viper and adjusted the back mirror. If there was one thing he was glad was untrue, it's that stupid myth about vampires not being visible in mirrors. How would he manage to fix his hair in the morning?<p>

The heavily tinted windows worked wonders on his sensitive eyes, but he sported a pair of tasteful shades for extra protection. The onyx polish of the car's exterior twinkled brighter than diamonds in the sun and the vehicle's body was designed with every aspect of aerodynamics in mind. He thrust in the key to power the mighty engine and the machine roared to life, flaunting its rumbling purr.

Sasuke pulled down the vertical car door, and pushed onto the pedal. He slowly backed out of the garage and drove down the cobblestone driveway to make a turn onto the relatively empty street. The whole block was deserted even when it wasn't a school day. The Uchiha Estate at the end of the cul-de-sac was rumored to be "abandoned and haunted for many years" which _was_ half true, but obviously not anymore. Ever since it was "haunted," many real estate developers avoided the block and eager future homeowners were ready to find some other neighborhoods to reside in. After all the commotion, once-neighboring houses became vacant and withered over time. Besides the eyesore coming from scanty houses, the dead end was dead quiet and a decent place to hide out, especially when you're a vampire.

By the time he pulled up into the high school's parking lot, the last bell went off. The building's entrance looked like it was about to burst as teens were shoving and dodging out of crowds to make it to freedom. The air filled with chatter from students and honks from vehicles.

Then it went silent.

Konoha High cleared out fast; about 20 minutes later, all the buses and minivans disappeared. Even the Uchiha was impressed, but he still did not catch a glimpse of his blonde housemate, so he walked into the building.

The high-ceilinged entrance hall was spacious. Konoha insignia embellished flags, trophy cases, and school spirit posters that had crappy slogans like "Go Kono Go!" and "Rah! Rah! Konoha!" As Sasuke walked into the middle of the lobby, he noticed the large emblem was designed into the floor underneath his feet. He eyed it before he shifted his gaze to an adjacent hallway. Further down, he can see Naruto, running like his entire existence depended on it.

"Aghhh! No! I missed the bus, didn't I! Crap, crap, CRAP!" he yelled at no one in particular as he checked a timepiece clinging to his wrist. Sasuke could get a clear view at Naruto's arm. Since when did Naruto own a dazzling titanium watch?

"That's. My. Watch," growled the Uchiha, loud enough for the swindler's acute hearing. His sapphire blue eyes grew large as a dark-colored blur was speeding towards him. Naruto threw his binder in the air to make a speedy getaway. Papers flew all over and obstructed the blur's view but only for a millisecond.

"AHHH! WAITTT, DON'T KILL ME!"

"_Too late now_!"

The two vampires were speeding down halls and around the twists and turns of the school. They looked like dashing shadows, breaking the sound barrier. Naruto, lacking any kind of footwear and coordination, slid on the linoleum floors and fell flat on his face. Sasuke felt unexpectedly generous today and decided that that was enough punishment for the guy.

"Ow…I fink I bwoke my face…" Naruto whimpered as he sat up and rubbed his tender cheek.

"You'll be fine in 10 minutes."

.

As they were headed back to the entrance, Naruto was still on Sasuke's case about lending him some money for shoes. Sasuke responded with taking back his watch and ignoring everything Naruto was saying, but if there was one thing Naruto was really good at, it was being annoying. He was poking, kicking, following, mocking, and irritating Sasuke. He decided to just repeat one word over and over again until his stingy friend cracked.

"Bananas, Bananas, Bananas, Bana-"

"Hey." Sasuke stopped abruptly; Naruto, who was trailing behind too close for comfort, bumped into his back.

"Hey! So, you're willing to give me some money?"

"What happened to your shoes, anyway?" Not that he cared, he just asked because he knew it would keep the blonde busy for a minute or two.

"Uh…well, gym was reeeeeally boring because everyone else was already playing basketball or just sitting around, but I had to wait for the teacher to give me a gym locker…But I didn't wanna be a lazy bum, so I went to play some ball! But there weren't any left…"

"So you ingeniously decided to use your shoe…"

"Yup, and then of COURSE it gets stuck up there! Stupid gravity. So I use my second shoe, because I mean, c'mon, what's the use of one shoe if you can't have the other! Am I right?"

He had a point.

"I'm not surprised this happened, considering it's you."

"WHADDJU SAY!"

"You heard me."

The two vampires had an all-out brawl with their angry stares.

"Arghhh, I need to be _nice_ to you! Can I PLEASE have some money, you wonderful, wonderful…person…" The corner of his cerulean eye twitched. The Uchiha just continued walking towards the entrance.

Translation: No.

"Aww, c'mon, just lemme borrow a pair!"

At that second, Sasuke felt a rush of intense heat him tear at his skin. The air smelled so sickly sweet, he could taste it. He was feeling the strong sensation again. It was burning up inside him, but he had to keep cool. He didn't want Naruto finding out about it; Uzumaki may be dense, but he wasn't blind. Trying to keep the façade going, Sasuke answered back: "Not a chance."

The blonde just kept sprouting some banter about his socks, while Sasuke just kept retorting with blunt comebacks to get the other fuming. He thought if he could just ignore the urge, just this once, it would just go away. But it wasn't working; it was only getting worse. In the corner of his eye, he could see pink. His little prey was coming down the hall. He still had questions for her so he didn't want to let this chance slip away.

Then, he could kill her.

The two vampires made their way out of the school. Naruto, oblivious to Sasuke' plan, kept walking towards the Oto-Viper sitting in the parking lot. Sasuke stayed behind and waited for his game to walk right into his trap. He could pick up the sound of her steps coming closer.

Closer.

"Miss me?" he asked as he kicked off the wall he was leaning on. The schoolgirl answered with some form of a gasp or a word mixed together. He used this one second of her surprise to size her up. She looked like she ran into hell and back, but then took a wrong turn and ended up in hell again. He wasn't sure whether he should feel bad for her or not. The feeling igniting in his throat was reminding him not to.

"Care to explain why you're following me?" he asked with a hint of sensuality to his voice. The ultimate plan created by the great Uchiha was to seduce her.

Yes. Seduce her.

Yes, the plan was sleazy, but it shouldn't be hard since she was already had that lovestruck look on her face again. But the last time he said something shouldn't be hard, the complete opposite happened: nothing worked. He knew he had to pull out every seduction skill he had. Normally, his natural vampire essence would catch his prey for him; he never had to actually _try_ to seduce anyone. But the sooner he has her under his spell, the sooner he can try to manipulate her again.

"For your information, _Demon spawn_, I go to this school. And I'll have you know that-"

"You're excited to see me?" He took a step closer to her to close the gap between them. The flush on her face was so obvious, it only made him pull out a smirk. Her scent was unexpectedly intoxicating and he was sure she felt the same way about him. She wants to rip his shirt off. He wants to rip her head off.

Fair enough, right?

Her cherry lips were parted slightly, as if she was ready to say something. He wanted to her hear voice tremble before him. But the wrong voice broke the silence.

"Yo, SASUKE! Can ya move your ass? I _really_ need to take a crap!" Naruto yelled from the parking lot. He was standing next to the car, urgently waving his hands in the air. Sasuke cursed in his head and made a mental note to shove Naruto's excrements back down his throat. He turned back to the pink-haired girl in front of him. She looked so innocent, but she was toying with him.

That bitch.

He quickly tried to put her under with his Sharingan, again, but nothing was happening.

Again.

And he was really losing his patience with her. What is _wrong_ with this girl?

"_I'm not done with you."_

* * *

><p>The next morning, KHS was completely void of students that usually crowded the building. The front of the school was free of cars, minivans, buses. It was a beautiful Saturday morning in early autumn.<p>

After parking the Viper in the lot, Sasuke strolled through the front doors and into the main office. He took a look around the room. There were a few teachers chatting in the corner of the room about what their plans were for this weekend. In another corner of the room, a small line was forming behind the woman currently at the photocopier. A calm voice pulled him away from his observations.

"Hello, are you new here?" asked an elderly woman sitting at the desk. Her short nails were clicking against the keyboard as her attention was set on the computer screen. According to a polished nameplate, she was Koharu Utatane, one of the main guidance secretaries in the school. Her dark, squinted eyes looked up. Sasuke's shady hair moved with him as he nodded his head.

"Do you have papers for us?" Sasuke handed her a black, leather folder filled with his transcript from the last school he went to 30 years ago. He edited some parts of it, but made it look very legitimate. A wrinkled hand took the folder and examined its contents. She responded with a "wait here for a moment" and walked into another hallway in the back of the room. Meanwhile, he turned around and looked at the large bulletin board.

There was a small map of the school.

He memorized it.

The board also had flyers about some peer tutoring sessions being offered in the library and the schedules for late buses that were barely used. It made him wonder why the pink-girl didn't take a bus home…

"Okay, son," called the grey-haired woman who was shuffling back to her desk, "the principal, Mr. Sarutobi, reviewed your transcript and it's being approved as we speak. I'm just going to need you to have your parents sign these…" She hummed as she shuffled through the pile of papers on her desk. After finding what she was looking for, she pushed the multicolored sheets towards the boy. "Just bring them back on Monday, signatures and all, and then we'll give you your new schedule. Alright?"

"Thank you," he said as he eyed the papers in his hand. There were a lot of technical jargon about school rules and responsibilities of the guardians and the student. He was ready to pull out a pen and sign all the signatures himself because the only "guardian" he had left was nowhere to be found. He didn't want to be too obviously about forging signatures either, so he decided to do all the work at home.

He stepped into the parking lot and into his onyx car. He revved up the engine and accelerated down the road, away from the school.

Once Monday came around, KHS would get a little more dangerous.

* * *

><p>The Fear.<p>

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**Please Review.**


	4. The Connections

The glaring sun penetrated the wispy, sheer curtains that covered the window. A gentle, autumn breeze was gliding through streets of the town. The sing-song chirps of the migrating birds were fading in the distance while a scent of freshly fallen leaves drifted into a certain peach-colored bedroom on this lovely morning.

A barely moving form was twisted and tangled between the sheets and pillows. Coral locks were tossed carelessly about on the white linens. The sound of soft breathing stopped the second emerald eyes fluttered open. Half lidded eyes examined the room in a disoriented manner. The teen sat up and raised her arms over her head to stretch every muscle. After reaching for the sky, she let out a satisfying yawn and then slouched back into a lazy position.

Her tousled hair could have housed a bird or two and her bloodshot eyes could have gotten her mistaken for a drug addict. This cranky expression wasn't indicating any excitement for this beautiful day.

Suddenly, the wheels in her head started turning. She quickly glanced at the clock and jumped out of bed. Her hands gripped the edges of her floriated curtains and threw them aside in a theatrical gesture. The window opened completely and she did not hesitate to feel the wind press up against her. It was insanely refreshing.

Sakura Haruno just remembered today was Saturday. A precious part of her weekend. A special day, no doubt. She didn't want to waste her day in bed, sleeping like a log.

Hell no.

It was the weekend and she couldn't be happier.

Nothing could ruin today. Nothing!

* * *

><p>[4] The Connections<p>

* * *

><p>Rushing water circled the drain as Sakura brushed her teeth thoroughly. She rinsed her mouth and made a wide smile at the reflection in the mirror. Her pearly whites shined back at her. Success.<p>

She made her way back into her room and pulled open a drawer. She did not regret planning her outfit the night before. On a typical morning, she would change her outfit 4 times before she was satisfied. Would this shirt go with her shoes? Did those old jeans make her butt look fat? Can this sweater make her look anymore flat-chested? But that won't happen today.

Nope, not today!

After throwing on a red v-neck shirt and stepping into a pair of beige cargo shorts, the pinkette heard a call from downstairs:

"SAKURA! Breakfasttt!" The stairwell carried the blasting yell into her room. In response, the youth groaned and rolled her eyes. Her mother was not a good judge on proper "indoor voices."

"YEAH, YEAH! I'M COMING," she yelled back. After raking through the knotted mess she called her hair, Sakura practically flew down the flights of stairs and into the kitchen. Her deprived appetite instantly took a liking to the aroma of pancakes sizzling on the stovetop. Her mother stood in front of the range with a spatula in hand. She was wearing a tan plaid apron and a smile on her face.

Every time Sakura looked at her mother, she would wonder why she didn't get the gene for her glossy, blonde hair. After all the years of taunting from schoolmates, it bothered her endlessly. On the other hand, she still had a normal eye color, right? She knew she got it from her mom who was sporting the same hue of green.

"There's a batch ready for you," announced her mother, pointing the spatula at the plate of pancakes resting on the table. She beamed a good-morning grin and then, she turned and went back to flipping cakes.

"Thanks, Mom." With a bottle of maple syrup in one hand and a fork in the other, Sakura started devouring her breakfast. Before she could even take a second bite, the cook began to lecture her.

"Don't eat too fast; you'll hurt your stomach. And sit up straight when you're at the table. Oh, and try not to get syrup in your hair like last time! It ended up all over your clothes, too…"

"I was _five_ the last time you made pancakes, totally doesn't count…," she retorted with a mouth full of syrupy goodness. When she placed the fork down on the plate, Sakura noticed a glob of syrup on the tips of her bangs that framed her face. Before her mom could turn around and say "what did I tell you?" she wiped off the sugary goop to save herself from the embarrassment. Her mom turned around a millisecond later.

It would seem that luck was on her side today.

"Do you have plans for later?" the cook questioned as she placed more pancakes onto a plate. The woman turned off the stove and took a seat at the circular table. Her daughter was already finishing up her first piece and was soon reaching for a second. "Goodness, slow down. They're not going anywhere."

"I know, I just really need to get my energy going," the adolescent replied as she drizzled more syrup onto her plate. "You know the Fall Festival is back in town? The three of us plan on going there early when all the booths are being set up. All the good stuff is there in the morning. So excited!"

"Mmm, the Fall Festival? Sounds like fun, but be careful. There's a lot of strange people out there," spoke the parent in a motherly tone. "And remember to bring your house key, okay? I won't be home when you get back."

"Right."

Mebuki Haruno worked as the sous-chef at the _Four Leaf,_ a four-star restaurant near the heart of the city. It's a highly acclaimed bistro, making it highly demanding. She spent most of her evenings at her job, working under the head chef for 5 nights a week. This left Sakura at home alone for most day, but she was used to it. Her mom became a single parent after she filed for divorce when Sakura was only 3 and the youngster couldn't remember a single thing about her father or what even happened to him in the aftermath. Not that she really cared, after hearing all the stories her mom would tell. Apparently, he wasn't a bucket full of sunshine.

But for a single mom with a decent paying job, she was doing just fine in a small 2-bedroom, 2-story house in a nice neighborhood. For the most part, they were happy.

"I'm going," called Sakura as she jumped out of her seat and rushed to put on some studded, red sandals. She grabbed her black tote that was sitting near the doorway and waved to her mother, still enjoying her breakfast at a humanly pace.

"I think you should take a sweater!" her mom called back. "It's supposed to get really cold later on."

The eager young girl threw open the door and used her hand to feel for the wind outside.

"It seems fine to me!" _It's fricking PERFECT out there!_

Her mother sighed. "If you say so…but if you get sick-"

"I know, _you told me so_! I get it…" _Geez, moms always think they're right. _

"As long as you know the consequences," she laughed. "And there's some money on the table that you can take with you."

"Got it!" She snatched the few bills sitting at the table near the front door. "Thanks! Gotta go!"

"Have fun!"

* * *

><p>Sakura stepped onto the bus and slid a prepaid card into a card reader. It made a sound to signal her payment was successful and she went take a seat near the back. She needed to take a public transportation to get to Ino's place that was closer to their destination. Ino lived in the center part of Konoha where the festival was, while Sakura lived in the city's outer ring where all the suburbs were. The north side suburbs were more for the rich folk, while the south was geared towards the middle-class, like the Harunos. The heart of the city was usually for lower-middle class but Ino's family was anything but.<p>

Ino Yamanaka lived with her mom and dad, but they were pretty well off. Her mother ran a flower shop that was doing pretty damn well, considering it was just a flower shop. Her father spent his time endorsing the Yamanaka Flower Boutique and traveling to promote its business. The two of them spend their time working, or spending money on their only child, the overindulged Ino we all know and love. The three of them lived in a roomy loft that was right above the workplace. The only child was already in line to work there as well, so she didn't have to worry about money or a future.

The heart of Konoha was home to many thriving businesses and industries, but still had many apartments and public transit options for the busy people who couldn't afford cars of their own. Even so, it's almost thrilling seeing the packs of businessmen, employees, and travelers walking on the busy sidewalks, past the tall buildings and skyscrapers. Even in the late hours of the night, you'll never be walking alone no matter how deserted the place seemed.

On the north side of town, in "richville", the atmosphere was completely different. The tall buildings were replaced with fancy mansions and villas. There were no masses of people talking on their cell phones or calling for taxis. Instead, you would spot the occasional jogger or dog-walker. The residents displayed gorgeous landscaping on every yard with wide, open streets. Sometimes, there would be large fountains greeting you at the driveway. This is the neighborhood where the Hyuuga family lived.

To put it bluntly, Hinata's family was wealthy. Ever since she moved here almost 3 years ago, Hinata never mentioned just how wealthy her family was, but she was nice enough to never flaunt it or let it corrupt her. In the end, she was really lucky to live in such a big, traditional home, even if she had to share it with her large family.

Sakura always wondered how Hinata could possibly stand it. Even though she has only been to the Hyuuga residence a couple of times, Sakura knew just how packed her family was. Rumor has it that the elder of the house, Hinata's grandfather, built the place with his bare hands. It's a miracle the old geezer was still kicking and staying there. Her uncle, Hizashi Hyuuga, and his son lived along with her immediate family despite the underlying tension in the house. It was always awkward whenever Sakura or Ino would drop by. Curiosity and nosiness would get the better of her from time to time, but Sakura tried her best to refrain from asking about the family's secrets.

It would seem that every family had its own garbage, whether they lived the life of luxury or in a modern high-rise.

.

The bus screeched to a stop in front of the Yamanaka Flower Boutique. Sakura dodged the bodies of the other commuters and made her way to the exit. As she placed a foot down on the concrete, she heard a high-pitched squeal.

"FOREHEAD GIRL!" yelled a blonde, clad in a loose, plum sweater and navy skinny jeans. Her suede, violet boots were stomping against the sidewalk as she ran from the store's doorway. "Are you ready? We need to get going, ASAP. We don't wanna miss anything!"

Ino ran up to Sakura and linked arms with her. The two could see Ino's mom through the store windows. They both gave a pageant-princess wave to Mrs. Yamanaka who was standing at the register. The woman waved back before going back to a customer. Having walked only one block down, the two girls could already hear distant music coming from the festival.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it's back again!" Ino exclaimed as she added an extra jump in her step as she walked. "Can you believe it's fall already! God, time flies, right?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. It feels like we were here just the other day…"

Every year, the Annual Fall Festival bloomed overnight on the first week of October. And every year since the beginning of high school, the trio would go and spend money on handmade trinkets and souvenirs, food and drinks, games and prizes. But this year, someone seemed to be missing out on the retailed fun.

"Did Hinata say she was coming?" asked the pinkette. The energetic music in the background was getting even louder now.

"Oh, right! That's what I needed to tell you. I called her last night and she's sad to report she couldn't make it." Ino placed her hand on her heart in a dramatic manner. "Sucks…I miss her already." She recovered from her grief quite fast as she flipped her ponytail over her shoulder.

"No way! Did she say why? She loved the little candy apples on a stick…" It was Sakura's turn to mourn the absence of a beloved friend.

"Family stuff. You know, the usual."

'_Shocker_,' thought Sakura cynically."It still won't be the same without her…"

"You said it, Pinkie…"

* * *

><p>Just because Hinata was missing the festival, doesn't mean the rest of Konoha was. The largest street running around the town square was completely blocked off to traffic. It seemed like the whole city's population was being stuffed into one place, amazingly. Multicolored booths and stands were set up all along the sidewalks while the busy mobs of people walked down the middle. In one area, food trucks were serving different delicacies and fast foods. There was a large stage equipped with subwoofers and microphones for hired talent to perform in the square while rows and rows of metal chairs were set up for the upcoming audiences. Bubbly pop music was blasting through the speakers when the two girls stepped into the happy chaos of it all.<p>

"Wow, it's so crowded!" yelled Sakura, trying to get Ino's attention over all the noise. They were trying to squeeze their way through the multitude of people until they spotted something worthwhile. "I've never seen it so packed before!"

"I know right? Holy crap, I swear I felt someone touch my ass!" Ino shoved a tall man in front of her and pulled Sakura along. "I can barely breathe! People need to learn about a new thing called DEODORANT."

Once the teens reached a part of the fair that wasn't as packed, they took a breather and looked around. Lanterns with leaf patterns and the Konoha symbol hung from every lamppost. Small, golden- and reddish- brown Christmas lights were twisting around archways and decorating stands. The smell of fresh apple butter and pumpkin pie mixed into the air and tempted the taste buds of the festival-goers. The atmosphere felt lively and welcoming for the new season ahead and although the place was jam packed, the girls weren't any less excited about having a great time.

"Oooh! Look, Sakura!" The blonde ran over to a booth covered in inexpensive jewelry and other shiny accessories. She held up a necklace for her friend to see. It was a petite cherry blossom on a simple, silver chain. "Pretty, no? And it's nicely priced, to boot."

Sakura walked over to get a better look at the necklace. She held it delicately in her hand as she inspected it herself.

"It is really cute." And it would be perfect for her. She looked towards a mirror sitting on the table as she wore the piece around her neck. It looked fitting right where it was. Ino clapped her hands excitedly from behind.

"It's like it was made for you!"

Sakura smiled sheepishly. She didn't want to be loose with her money, but she would be lying through her teeth if she said the necklace wasn't adorable. Worth it. "Looks like I have to buy it then, huh?"

"Does it look like I'm giving you a choice?" challenged Ino, putting her hands on her hips and a devilish grin on her face. It's too bad Ino wasn't a saleswoman yet. She would have done an extraordinary job.

"Nope, I guess not." The two of them laughed and Sakura reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet. She handed a few dollars to the vendor who thanked her graciously.

"Woohoo! First purchase of the night!" Ino threw her arm over Sakura's shoulder. The green-eyed girl cringed under the weight, but soon chuckled after. "It's going to be a good night! I can just _feel_ it!"

'_Me too,'_ Sakura thought.

While Ino walked away ready to inspect more discounted accessories, Sakura lagged behind as she took another look in the mirror. She liked what she saw because Ino was right; it looked like it was made just for her. A cherry blossom for a cherry blossom.

She didn't care if her wallet felt a little lighter. She had no regrets.

.

The horizon was painted a multitude of colors where the sun settled into the background.

Konoha's Annual Fall Festival was in full swing; more crowded than ever. The live bands were now performing cover songs in the square. Many swarmed to listen to the blasting music up close and little kids were running around, looking for the next carnival game to play. Couples were everywhere, sharing drinks and snacks as the sun went down. Somewhere deep in the festive commotion, a distressed sigh could be heard.

"Ughhh, I'm starvingggg…," whined Ino, collapsing on a bench with her bags of merchandise. She carried fashion necklaces, handmade scarves, two pairs of earrings and a new canvas tote bag. The desperate girl looked through her old bag for any spare change she had left over. Too bad, she was flat broke.

"I warned not to buy that bag," spoke the pinkette in a matter-of-fact tone. She took a seat next to Ino who was still digging passed her makeup, sunglasses, and lotions hidden in the recesses of her bag. The excavation was fruitless.

"I couldn't help it! It was too cute! It tricked me…" The blue-eyed teenager slouched in her seat and pouted like a little toddler. Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the girl's theatrical antics.

"This isn't funny! I'm going to starve to death right here!" A loud grumble went off in her belly.

"You've been going on and on about how you wanted to go on a diet, right? Well, now's your chance! Starve." Sakura smiled wide, playfully. She stood and pulled out her wallet which still carried enough money for dinner. As she walked away, she spoke over her shoulder:

"Greedy piggies don't get food." She stuck her tongue out in a mocking manner.

"Bitch…"

Sakura laughed her way to the line at a food truck called Zero Calories. Her eyes grazed the menu of the greasy, cholesterol-filled snacks that were currently being drowned in boiling oil. Seeing how every item on the list could cause a stroke, Sakura seriously doubted the food had zero calories. Corn dogs, chicken fingers, French fries. Funnel cakes, donuts, even the deep-fried Oreos piqued her interest. Sounds deliciously unhealthy.

_Heart attack on a plate, here I come. _

She took a step forward after the man in front of her was finished. Green eyes scanned the menu on the side of the truck one more time before placing her order.

"Hi, can I have… two corndogs and two water bottles, please?" She spoke aloud as she went through her wallet to pull out some cash.

"No problem, lady!" replied a chirpy, familiar voice. She looked up at the ordering window and instantly recognized the guy at the register. Blonde hair, blue eyes, the weird whiskers on his face…

"Aren't you… Naruto?"

"Yup, who wants to know?" he asked with comical suspicion as he punched the order onto the register. She laughed at his facial expression. Meanwhile on the register, the price of her food showed up for Sakura to see.

"Hey, I'm Sakura. We go to school together. I've seen you around before. You're new right?" Sakura smiled kindly at him and handed over the money. There was something about Naruto; he had a nice atmosphere around him.

"Heheh, yeah. I've been goin' to KHS for like…a week now?" He smiled back at her and calculated her change. "I've seen you like once though."

"Really? When?"

"Yesterday, don't cha remember? You were talking to Sasuke," Naruto answered. He turned his back to her as he picked up a couple of water bottles and corn dogs on a stick.

"_Sasuke"? I don't know a Sasuke… _

"You really don't remember? What, did you hit your head or something?" he joked as he stuffed the food into a brown paper bag. "Angry looking guy with zero emotions and stupid black emo hair?"

"Oh! _Him!_ Right, haha, I just never learned his name…" _Until now._ She felt a cold sweat on the back of her neck. Her stomach turned in the most uncomfortable way. She just could not shake this unpleasant feeling.

_Crap. _

She forgot Naruto was there, standing in the parking lot, watching her get humiliated by the dashing devil himself. Naruto was so far away though, it's not like he heard them or anything. Unless he had super amazing hearing, but what are the chances of that?

"I didn't know that bastard had any friends," he laughed and shoved some napkins into the bag as well.

She didn't know he did either. It was strange when she thought about it. Whenever she was with him, it felt like the whole world evaporated, leaving just him and her standing alone together. She completely forgot about Naruto or the chance that anyone else could have been possibly connected to him. But since Naruto was there yesterday, that would mean that the two of them were…

"Aren't you friends?" Sakura questioned when she took her order from him.

_Please say no, Please say no, Please-_

"Well, _yeah_, I guess you can say that." He laughed again. "I've known him since, like, forever."

Great. Just when she thought this Sasuke fellow was some random douchebag that she would probably never ever see again in her entire life, she bumps into him at school AND bumps into his bestest bestie best friend foreverest. Does he even go to her school? Does he know anyone else? He appeared out of thin air and now it's like he's everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"Forever's a really long time…," she commented, clearly uncomfortable. She really didn't know what else to say; she just wanted to get the hell out of here.

"_This line_ is taking a really long time, too!" yelled a chubby, middle-aged man with a sweat-stained wife beater. Judging by his size, he should be hitting the salad bar and a gym, not a food truck at a festival. Sakura thanked Lady Luck who on team Sakura for the moment. _Saved by the fat guy._

"Calm your man-tits!" yelled Naruto. "Sheesh…the mob gets crazy out here…" He turned his attention towards the pink-haired girl who looked like a deer caught in headlights. She really doesn't do well in awkward situations. "So, I'll catch ya at school, right?"

He was smiling a pearly-white, good guy smile. How could she possibly say no? "Sure."

She apologized to the grouch behind her and scuffled over to the bench where Ino was glowering by herself. Sakura held out the paper bag and the blonde's mood instantly recovered. She jumped up and hugged her friend, thanking her for the food without words. The hug made the dread dissipate, but only for a second.

Sakura looked back at Naruto, probably one of the nicest but clumsiest guys she has ever met, and he's connected to the prince of sheer darkness. And not just connected. He's _friends_ with him! _Best friends!_ How is that even possible…

"Sakura? Are you gonna eat that? Because I'll take it," asked Ino, eyeing the corndog in Sakura's hand. She was already finishing up her first one but could still feel her stomach rumbling. "Don't judge me. Shopping takes a lot out of you."

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts and gave Ino a blank look. The corndog was getting colder by the second.

"Oh, right…Uh, yeah. Here, you can have it."

"Yay! Thank youuu!"

After seeing Naruto, Sakura wasn't feeling hungry anymore and she probably won't feel hungry for a day or two at the rate that this was going.

_So much for this day being "perfect."_

It honestly boggled her mind. How could a good guy be friends with such a prick?

It's not like they could possibly have anything in common.

* * *

><p>"'<em>Stupid black emo hair'?<em>" growled a looming voice from behind the Zero Calories truck.

"Hey, I had to say _something_," answered Naruto who had his back turned to the register, trying to appease the beast by fulfilling the fat man's order. "It's a pretty accurate description, if ya ask me!"

"No one asked you." Sasuke had his back against the metal vehicle. He avoided the line of people on the other side of the truck. "And my hair isn't stupid." But the _black and emo_ part was clearly debatable.

"Uh huh, right. And I'm not incredibly awesome," purred the worker after checking himself out through a reflection from a silver tissue dispenser. He gave himself a little wink for the added effect.

'_You're right, you're not_,' Sasuke thought harshly, but refused to verbalize this fact because he was tired of arguing. He had other things to take care of.

"I'm leaving," he announced as he walked along the backsides of the booths and stalls.

"Wait! Where ya going!" yelled the cashier, turning towards the truck's back side door. The next customer, an old, wrinkly woman, yelled at him to get working. "Calm your saggy tits, grandma!"

Obviously, Zero Calories was going to lose customers whenever Naruto was at his shift. Only a few more hours of greasy torture because the poor guy can finally afford shoes and maybe even socks at a decent price. _Then, I'm outta here!_

.

Unlike Naruto, Sasuke wasn't here to suffer in an oily, metal contraption for money. He could pay other people to do that for him, even if that made absolutely no sense. But whatever, the Uchiha had an agenda of his own.

Last night, Sasuke was busy conducting research. After turning the private study upside and inside out, he found journals from his ancestors, dating back thousands of years, making descriptive recounts of Vampire Hunting instincts. A few journals specifically talked about the prey's _scent_ and those explanations didn't differ from his mother's description by much. They all said the same thing:

An intoxicating smell. Strong, distinct, easy to find and easy to follow. Apparently, it didn't matter how far away or how masked it may be. The scent will always come through.

It just so happens that today, one of Konoha's biggest festivals was starting and everyone knows that opening days pull in the largest crowds. The set-up could not have been more perfect. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people were gathering here. The odor of all kinds of foods, candles, plants, and perfumes would taint the air. This mixture of aromas would act as the obstacles to his incredulous senses. This will prove if _her_ scent really is special. Was it really inescapable? He wanted to see how easy it would be for him to track her in such unfortunate circumstances.

Unfortunate circumstances, indeed.

Unfortunately, he's been able to use the distinct smell in the air to pinpoint her exact location each and every time. He followed her to at least 20 different jewelry stalls and some booth about saving baby seals. Stalking, taken to the extreme.

Every other human smelled just like…a human. But her, she smelled like pure sugary honey mixed with a hint of the most exotic flowers the world has ever seen. It was exquisite. It would pierce through the walls of the boring stench of the regular living; a smell that was once appealing to him. But not anymore.

The only thing that haunts his mind was the crisp, delicious smell of a certain little cherry blossom. It was too bad Sasuke lacked a sweet tooth.

But the fangs seem to be a nice replacement.

The crowd acted as a perfect cover. He inched closer to his objective. Hundreds of people, lost in the madness and disorganization, would never notice one of their own was missing.

Just one.

* * *

><p>The Connections.<p>

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**Please Review.**


	5. The Beginning

The heart of Konoha, with its joy and merriment, seemed to exist in an alternate universe. The Annual Fall Festival. The laughing guests, the amusing games, the wild music. It seemed to be all just a dream, a dream created to blur out the dark, ghastly realities.

In a shady, more sinister part of town, a desperate shriek tried to escape in hopes of reaching the ears of a saint, an angel, a god. But the ignorant music would only drown out the sounds.

Her chest rose and sunk quickly and unevenly as she panted. She was surrounded by darkness and encased with fear. The dark cellar carried a heavy atmosphere, filled with a gruesome stench. Her sweat and tears moistened the blindfold covering her eyes. Suddenly, her blindfold slipped off her damp face and hung around her neck. She instantly regretted her ability to see.

A decaying human carcass was suspended off the ground, strapped to the adjacent wall. Clumps of flesh and entrails covered the floor below it. The smell and the sight made her want to throw up every feast she has ever had.

"AHHHH! SOMEONE! HELP ME!" she cried out franticly, slowly losing hope. Her bony knees buckled against each other as she stood, chained to the cold, stone wall behind her. Her mind was racing.

_I'm going to die! _

She was going to end up like that putrefying skeleton.

_I don't want to die!_

She was going to die all alone in the dark.

_I DON'T WANT TO DIE!_

* * *

><p>[5] The Beginning<p>

* * *

><p>There was nothing she can do.<p>

"No…n-no…," she whimpered out quietly, despairingly. Her hands and knees were covered in blood, dirt and god knows what else. Her right wrist was shackled by a large, iron cuff that bound her to the wall. She screamed out in surprise as she noticed a sea of red in the middle of the room. "I-I don't..I don't…"

She was going mad.

"You don't…what?" asked a calming voice from the darkness. It sounded like an angel. Has he been here this whole time?

"Hello? HELLO? Please! Help me! I'm trapped in here!" The metal cuff clanged against the wall as she slammed her arm against it, trying to break the restraints while attempting to get the attention of her savior. She could see, but the shadows surrounding her stayed the same. A dim outline of a man stood on the other side of the stonewalled room. He, too, was shrouded in darkness, purposefully avoiding the light.

"You didn't answer my question." His emotionless voice sped through the air.

"What?" she breathed out in disbelief.

Her gasp was caught in her throat. Her blood ran ice cold. _This isn't an angel._

"Answer me." He can sound like one. He could look like one. But he isn't one.

He was the devil in disguise.

_This is him! _"I- I'll do wha-whatever you want!" she sobbed powerlessly. _The kidnapper!_ "Please! Just…JUST DON'T KILL ME!"

"You can start by answering me," he stated impatiently, completely immune to the wickedness of the situation. He sat down on the floor, scrutinizing her, waiting for an answer.

"I-I…," she wept and choked on her tears. "I…don't wa-want to die…"

No response. Just a still, lifeless shadow in the corner of the room.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE," she yelled, suddenly and angrily. It caught him off guard. It looks like she still had some life left in her. "YOU HEAR ME! PLEASE, PLEASE, I DON'T WANT TO DIE! DON'T KILL ME,

DON'T KILL ME!"

Her shrieks were hysteric and ear-shattering. She was losing her grip. Going insane. Lost in the darkness. Lost in her fear. It was beautiful.

_Mouth-watering. _

.

They've been sitting there for the past three hours. Him, cool and composed. Unmoving. Her, weary and lost. Jittering, weeping, suffering. They were slowly waiting for her biological clock to run out. It did not matter how long it took. He had all the time in the world.

Her eyelids were puffy, lifeless, and raw from the teary river that poured out of her. Her prison cell smelled like putrid, decaying corpses and remains. She figured her corpse would inevitably join them. A dim glow from the hallway shone through the cracks of the door and poorly lit the cellar. She was sitting in a fetal position against the wall, trying as much as she can to avoid the puddle of human blood, splattered on the floor, walls, even the ceiling. Slow, steady drips were falling from above and splashing in the sea of red that crawled towards her, drop by drop. The only other sound in the room was her sob-related hiccups and her psychotic chanting.

"Don't k-kill me…" She rocked herself back and forth. "D-don't…kill m-"

"Shut up already," commanded the low, disturbing voice. Her mouth clamped down faster than a gunshot. If only that would be her method of death, a gunshot: short, sweet, and to the point. But this sick, demented fuck wanted things to go slow…

_To let the anguish set in…_

_To savor this moment. _

"You want to live?"

The sudden sound of his chilling voice. Was he being serious? His form remained unmoved from that one spot, covered by the shadows.

"Y-ye-s…Any-nything…" The metal of the chains clanked against each other as she shifted positions. "I'd…do anything, please… Just… let me go."

A rusted knife skidded across the floor and ended up next to her leg. Her exhausted eyes looked up for further directions, but failed to receive any further notion. Her crusted fingertips lifted the knife to her face to get a better look. The serrated edge was coated in rust and dried up blood while the wooden handle was rotting with mold. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought of ways she could possibly use the weapon…

"You know what to do."

She really wished she didn't. The only thing that was keeping her from her freedom, her restraints. This iron cuff attached to her wrist. Obviously, a knife this worn down could never cut through iron…

"I'm waiting."

The hostage tried to keep a firm grasp on the handle as she aimed the knife towards her right arm.

_I have to do this…I need to live…I have to do this…._

She attempted to keep her breathing at an even and relaxing pace. The jagged edge touched upon her wrist. She added some pressure along the knife, onto her skin, but her nerves were getting the best of her. Violent shakes were ruining her concentration.

_It's okay…I have to do this._

Tainted air entered her lungs as she inhaled a crucial breath to calm herself. She pulled her arm back, counted to three, and slammed the blade against her wrist. A tormented screech left her lips. A twisted smile graced his.

She was losing her mind.

"ARGHHhh!" she sobbed, sawing the blade against her skin. A deep gash formed under the knife as the blood oozed and seeped down her right arm. Heavy tears trickled down her face. The screams seemed to drown out the excruciating pain. She was shredding through her skin, her flesh, and down to the bone. The rusted, serrated blade reached her hard bone and could no longer cut. Her mind was in shambles as common sense escaped her. She cried out in mind-numbing defeat as she tried smashing the knife against her forearm. Nothing worked. The blade was too dull to cut through. The red ooze circled around her as her whole arm was coated with the warm liquid.

Her audience stood now, intrigued, watching his little experiment. It was so fascinating how far someone would go to preserve such a fragile life.

_Pathetic_.

Nevertheless, he stood, enjoying what was left of the show from his exclusive front row seat.

"I can't do it!" she moaned and threw the knife towards her executioner in frustration. A deep, gaping wound remained open on her right arm, right under the metal cuff. Just when she thought she had run out of tears, streams kept pouring out of her eyes and mixing with the red splatter on her face and neck.

The defeat. The pain. The end.

Through her watery eyes, she saw the man walk out of the shadows towards her for the first time.

"Need some help?" he asked as if he had no care in the world. He reached behind him and pulled out a sword that glistened even in the dimmest of lights. In a swift motion, he brought down his blade and she was freed.

"GAHHHHH!" She was curled up against herself as she griped her right arm that spewed out blood. The spray reached all corners of the cellar. Her right hand laid a few inches away from her, still caught in the handcuff. The rest of her recoiled from the torture.

'_Hmm…_,' he thought evenly, examining the weapon in hand. He was getting bored of this game. Her screams were becoming so monotonous. It was almost giving him a headache. He was no longer feeling that vivid rush. Looks like it was time for the finale.

Moist, grief-stricken eyes looked up. A minute later, they ended up on the other side of the room.

* * *

><p>Ebony eyes glanced at the midnight-black titanium watch resting on his arm. The face of the clock signaled that it exactly eleven at night, giving him plenty of time for clean-up. With a few flicks of the wrist, the once-intact body turned into a mangled pile of slaughtered tissue and gore. Seeing as how the dirty deed was accomplished on his property, he decided to leave the chunks for the rats. Maybe one day someone will find rotting bodies in here, and the gruesome discovery would fuel the "haunted" rumors all over again. That would keep people away for good…<p>

The vampire licked the tips of his fingers and wiped down the Kusanagi before sliding it back in its sheath. He picked up a syringe that played a crucial role in today's killer performance. He really had to thank the Medical Center for letting him just waltz right in, and take whatever the hell he wanted. Such kind people.

After skimming through his vast collection of literary heirlooms the night before, he came up with an interesting theory that he just needed to put to the test: Injecting lifeplasm into the living.

It was a simple idea that had enormous potential. Humans were almost _magically_ attracted to vampires. They would just gravitate towards them, be fascinated by them, and were easily overpowered and controlled by them. This much was obvious. But lifeplasm, vampire blood, had a negating effect on a vampire's natural attraction, according to theories left by ancestors. Yes, vampires were still wondrously attractive, but the living would no longer feel that trance-like appeal. They would just feel the usual "look, but don't touch" kind of attraction. In other words, they could feel fear. In other words… for a period of time, the spell was broken.

However, if too much lifeplasm is injected, then a plaything would just be able to heal quickly, like a vampire. But no one wants that. Where's the fun in torturing and slowly mutilating people if they just heal back up? Trick question: There is no fun in that. Especially when they get boring, fast.

On the other hand, if there isn't enough injected, it would just quickly pass through the body, making the vampire blood completely useless. Luckily, the Uchiha genius calculated the proper dosage, based on weight, height, and gender. It was a perfect performance.

He took one quick look around the cobble-stoned basement before sliding the steel door shut and locking it behind him. The vampire strutted down a dimly-lit corridor that had multiple steel doors leading to other chambers. He walked up a narrow stairwell that led to the surface, near the far edge of the estate's property line. In a few minutes, he was back inside his mansion.

Although he felt satisfied with his act for the moment, he was still felt displeased deep down.

He knew he killed the wrong girl tonight.

It wasn't the one he planned for nor was it the one he wanted. It wasn't sea-foam green eyes that cried tonight. It wasn't her creamy flesh that tore open. It wasn't her luscious blood that was shed and splashed all over his walls. It was some random girl: black hair, dull eyes, and uninteresting blood. The only reason why he took her home was because she was just _there_…at the festival, all alone.

_'No one would miss her,'_ thought Sasuke as he finished his shower, pulled on some pajama pants, and kicked his feet up to watch some Saturday Night reruns. He pressed his naked back against the soft, plush couch and kept an unintentionally tight grip on the remote control. His delicate ears could still pick up the noise coming from the festival. It wasn't the noise that bothered him. It wasn't the fun and happiness radiating from that happy-happy-fun time hellhole. He raked his tense hand through his dampened hair.

It's _her_. He could still _feel_ her, _smell_ her.

Damn it.

He really wished he would've just killed _her_ instead.

_If only that blonde girl wasn't in the way…_

* * *

><p>It was well into the evening. Nevertheless, the world was anything but dark tonight. The lanterns and candles glowed to light up the festival. Laughter and high spirits lit up the atmosphere. Sakura just wished there was some way to light up a warm, cozy fire.<p>

"I-It's s-so c-c-cold!" Sakura chattered through her teeth as she held onto herself for dear life. She figured since this place was full of people, body heat would just magically keep her warm. Sadly for her, someone forgot to mention that magic wasn't real.

"No DUH, it's cold! Look at what you're wearing, shorts and short-sleeves?" It was Ino's turn to lecture. "Are you crazy?"

"N-n-no…" _Just proud._

Although she would never tell anyone aloud, she regretted not listening to her mother at the breakfast table. It's not her fault the weather could be so deceiving. This morning was the dictionary definition of a perfect day. How the day turned out to be a freeze-fest, Sakura will never know. Forget Karma; Mother Nature was the _real_ bitch.

Ino dug through her shopping bags and pulled out a black, woven scarf and handed it to the icicle beside her. Sakura managed to whisper a word of thanks, but the scarf did not do much for her arms or legs. The concerned one could still see her friend shivering like a wet animal.

"God, I feel _so_ bad. Maybe if you didn't spend money on me, you could've gotten yourself a sweater or something…" Ino led Sakura to a nearby bench to sit down. "Okay,_ I'll_ try to look for something super cheap to keep you warm. Maybe like a cup of coffee or whatever. _You_ stay here!" She pulled out her other scarves and placed them over Sakura like blankets. It was helping…somewhat.

"Wa-wait, Ino!" It was too late. She ran into the crowd and disappeared.

_'Did she forget she has no money...?_' pondered the helpless Sakura, wrapped in scarves. She noticed some fair-goers looking at her as if she needed a straight-jacket instead of a bundle of fashion statements. She sighed to herself because it couldn't be helped. At least she was feeling warmer.

.

It's been around 20 minutes later and Ino still hasn't come back yet.

_How long does it take to find some coffee around here?_

Sakura checked her phone but saw no new messages or missed phone calls. It was half an hour until midnight. She wasn't sure whether she should be worried that Ino got lost or worried that she stopped to look at more jewelry. Either way, Sakura wouldn't be surprised.

After slipping her phone back into her bag, Sakura brought her hand up to feel for her necklace. It was the only thing she bought today, besides food, since nothing else raised her interest like the tiny cherry blossom did. She looked up and scanned the crowd for any sign of Ino. Instead, she saw many booths closing up for the night while most of the crowd dispersed. The streetlights dimmed slightly and Christmas lights were turning off. She suddenly felt like the last person left on Earth. She wasn't sure if the chill running down her back was from the cold or this unshakeable feeling…

"FOREHEAD GIRL!" yelled a familiar voice. The said "forehead girl" has never been more glad to be actually called forehead girl in her entire life. Ino was jogging back, empty handed. After catching her breath, she apologized multiple times, saying how every place was closed and how she had no money anyway.

"I would've showed some skin, if it came down to it," nodded the pig proudly. Sakura laughed and peeled the layers off of herself and handed the scarves back to Ino.

"Take them with you! You'll need it on the way back home…"

"No, really. I'll be _fine._"

And that was the end of that.

After the cold walk, the bus was already at the stop before Ino could even offer a sweater for her popsicle of a friend. They shared a quick hug before Sakura bolted towards the vehicle, paid the due, and took a seat. She took a breather and tried to brace herself from the cold. The windows were fogging up, making it hard to see outside. Her inner child brought her finger up to the icy glass and drew random facial expressions. A smiley face. A sad face. The angry-looking face she doodled on the window seemed to glare back at her in the most recognizable way.

Sakura found herself thinking about a certain angry-looking guy with zero emotions and wondered what he could possibly be doing right now…

She wondered if he even went to the festival at all.

* * *

><p>The rest of the weekend flew by for the pink-haired student. Before she knew it, she was already standing in front of the high school on a cloudy Monday morning. The transition from the weekend to a school day happened all too fast; it knocked the wind right out of her. She exhaled as she pushed her way past socializing circles and other kids walking to class. After a quick stop at her locker, Sakura marched to her first period class and took her seat by the window.<p>

The classroom for Advanced-Course Algebra 2 and Trigonometry was practically empty except for a few students and a man sitting in front of the room reading some book at the teacher's desk. The pink-haired girl realized she has never seen this man before; grey, spiked-up hair, masculine figure, and a strange mask that covered a large portion of his face. At that second, he looked around the classroom to see a pair of eyes staring at him. He took this opportunity to write his name on the board.

_'He's our teacher?'_ pondered Sakura, as she took notice of his injured and scarred left eye that he kept closed at all times. _'Why would the school hire a blind man with a creepy mask to teach math to children?_' She contemplated whether this was a joke or not.

More people rushed into the room and sat down in their assigned seats as the bell went off. The teacher, who wrote "Mr. Kakashi" on the board, received even more puzzled looks from the newly arrived that were at least smart enough to figure that they had a new teacher. One kid in the front row raised his hand.

"What happened to the other guy?" the boy asked. The room went silent to listen for an answer.

"Died. Car accident. Rest his soul," answered Kakashi in an unintentionally sarcastic tone. Some of the students snickered to themselves, assuming he was kidding.

The adult in the room was writing the topic of today's lesson on the chalkboard, along with a math problem. He stopped mid-equation as he heard a knock at the door. Sakura looked up, but at the angle she was sitting at, she couldn't see who was there. The second Kakashi stepped out into the hallway, the entire class discussed "how cool" or "how hot" their new professor was. Sakura just shrugged it off and copied down the notes on the board.

"Alright…," started the silver-haired man as he strutted back into the room. "Looks like I'm not the only new guy in here…"

A stunningly-perfect, yet familiar face followed behind him.

"This is Sasuke Uchiha, transfer student. Play nice, kiddies," he spoke as he turned his back to continue the problem written on the board.

All the girls were googly-eyed while some of the boys were staring in envy. But Sakura was neither of the two. She was a wide-eyed and horrified little girl.

_Holy shit, it's him!_

"Where do I sit?" Sasuke asked in monotone, but all the females in the room swooned anyway, even if a specific one refused to let him see it. Mr. Kakashi looked at a seating chart for the assigned places. Even before the teacher pointed out the previously assigned desk, Sasuke was already looking in that general direction. "The seat behind Ms. Haruno…"

_Fuck my life._

She gulped and cursed her fate, her fortune, and all the horoscopes she ever had. He was staring right into her soul chillingly. Sasuke sat down behind her, but Sakura could just feel the heated stare at the back of her head. She didn't want to start anything this early in the morning, but she was so tempted to turn around and talk to him.

"How did _you_ get into AC Trig?" asked a taunting voice from behind.

_Does he just assume I'm stupid?_

Sakura spun in her seat and returned a glare of her own. Wait, why was she so surprised? She should've seen this coming. On the bright side, at least it gave her a reason to talk to him. His pen was moving along the page as he took down notes, ignoring the emerald evil eye.

"Why the hell are you here?" she asked sourly, completely disregarding his question. _Besides trying to ruin my life! _

"Weren't you listening? I _transferred_ here," he stated matter-of-factly. Even though she was one of the school's brightest, he was really good at making her feel stupid.

"From where? HELL?"

"Sakura," called Mr. Kakashi, a textbook in hand. "Don't interrupt, please. Or else, this…" he held up the piece of chalk in his other hand, "will be aimed right at your head."

Her classmates chuckled and the instigator tossed a condescending smirk her way. She narrowed her eyes in response and turned around.

"Sorry, sir…," grumbled Sakura as she sunk into her seat, hoping to disappear until the embarrassment died down.

"Sir? 'Kakashi' is fine… Anyway, where was I…?" he trailed off as he looked back into the book and up at the board.

Sasuke tapped his pencil against the edge of his desk in boredom. The second Kakashi finished writing the math problem to number two, the Uchiha was all over it. A complete answer, in simplest form, in less than 5 seconds. This was around the tenth time he took college level Trigonometry, and half of those times, he was in an actual college and the work was far more advanced. But to be completely honest, he would've been more bored at home. Reruns just seem to lose their appeal after you can recite every line by memory.

But he wasn't getting his kicks out of graphing equations or proving identities. It was just being around her that made him feel more…_alive_, so to speak. There was electricity in the air, and he wasn't sure if she could feel it the same way, but it definitely had a magnetic quality to it. At this point, he wasn't even sure if it was her blood that he wanted or if it was just _her._ He needed answers that no math equation could ever provide. College didn't prepare him for this.

He decided he did not need to kill her just yet. He wasn't one to be sloppy and now was a good time to understand this Sakura Haruno. The urges? He'd have to manage. As time went on, he was learning more and more about her. He would get his answers soon enough.

What makes Sakura Haruno so fucking special?

It was a challenge to get closer to her without getting _too close_, to stay unexposed, safe...

It was a challenge he was willing to accept, even if it meant a little bit of risk.

.

Class droned on for another hour before the next bell rang throughout the school. As Sakura piled her books together, the transfer student took it upon himself to block her way.

"Move it or lose it," ordered a sassy Sakura who had enough of her daily dose of Sasuke. She figured all this attention she was getting would last her a lifetime. The raven-haired roadblock pulled out a folded piece of paper: his schedule. He held it up in front of the girl's face and she groaned horrendously.

"You…We have almost _every_ class together…"

_Perfect._ "Really now?" he asked, with zero hint of actual surprise. "Then where's my next class?" This time, his voice _did_ show a hint of a challenge. He didn't really need directions; he just needed a reason to talk to her. The expression on her face was already doing all the talking on her part.

But isn't this what she wanted? She's been thinking about him practically all weekend and now she has a reason to open her mouth and actually speak to him. Better yet, he was asking for _her_ help, in his own jerky way. In her mind, she figured it _was_ his first day. He deserved a break.

"Fine…follow me…"

She hoped she wouldn't regret giving it to him.

* * *

><p>The Beginning<p>

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**Please Review.**


	6. The Intruder

Camouflage, one of nature's most ingenious tricks.

The ability to hide, to blend in, to wear a mask. It was all needed for the survival of the fittest and, of course, rule number one was always _to survive_. The weak only roam on this earth to be fed on, to be used and abused by the strong. But it's not always about power.

It's about how you use that power.

Because in a world where being a power-hungry monster can get you killed, destroyed, _hunted,_ you only have one choice:

Blend in.

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><p>[6] The Intruder<p>

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><p>In Konoha's infamous "Dead End", the abandoned houses creaked eerily as the wind blew. Naked tree branches scratched broken glass windows and boarded up doors. Old stone driveways and fountains eroded erratically over time. The dead end was the dark blemish on the wealthy northern suburbs. At the end of the once-glamorous street, a lone mansion was the only building with any sign of life.<p>

"So…," started Naruto, chewing on the eraser of a #2 pencil. "How'd you get number one again?" It was the dark, early hours of the morning and the schoolboy could only put off the suffering for so long. Even though he started his trigonometry homework an hour ago, he made zero progress. Procrastination at its best.

Sasuke, who was sitting next to the procrastinator on the living room couch, groaned in annoyance. He was already on the backside of the worksheet and he started it 10 minutes ago.

"Cosecant is a reciprocal of the sine of the triangle…"

"What's sine?"

"Opposite side over the hypotenuse."

"What's the reciprocal?"

"Hypotenuse over the opposite…"

"Wait, what's a hypotenuse again?"

"_Why the fuck _are you in AC Trig?" Sasuke wanted to bang his head into the floor. He figured Naruto barely understood the basic concepts of math as it is, so taking a college-level course wouldn't help him one bit. In reality, it would just confuse the poor idiot even more.

"It would look good on a college resume!" answered Naruto, attempting the first homework problem yet again.

_As if you'd even make it to college…_

Naruto ended up erasing his whole answer a second later. On the day after Sasuke transferred, Naruto walked into the Algebra II and Trigonometry classroom with a goofy smile on his face. It was the perfect first impression. Mr. Kakashi was just as confused as all the geniuses in the classroom; they all knew the blonde's reputation at school.

The biggest knuckleheaded goofball ever.

According to Naruto, there was a monumental screw up in the scheduling system. A lot of students had their courses rearranged, he himself included. But unlike half the student body, he didn't really mind so he didn't march down to the guidance office and complain. He insisted that he wanted the challenge. He was ready for this class!

But Naruto, in reality, was getting wrapped up in the hype of college like the rest of his junior class was. All the test taking, essay writing. Sending in transcripts, applications. He was absorbed by the rush of moving on to the next part of your life, to becoming an adult. But the truth was he wasn't human like everyone else. He sometimes forgot that, as a vampire, those times of his life were coming down much, much further down the road.

A very lonely road.

For now, it was the procrastination talking.

"Ah, whatever! I'll figure it out later!" exclaimed Naruto as he tossed the paper aside and turned on the gaming system. He was already locked in a trance the second the game showed up on screen. Sasuke just rolled his eyes at the booming music from the surround-sound system.

He placed the completed worksheet in his folder and stuffed it in his backpack. His tired feet trudged over to his room and he collapsed on his bed. The glowing green numbers of the digital clock mocked him endlessly. In less than an hour, the sun would come up, he'd have to go to school and he'd have to suffer with this invisible restraining order he placed over Sakura Haruno.

If blending in meant doing homework, going to school, and staying two feet away at all times, then that's what he had to do.

Whatever it takes.

* * *

><p>Naked. Exposed. With no one to witness it.<p>

Sasuke stood under the scorching water, completely dazed. The pitter patter was slowly lulling him back to sleep. Before his shower, he was knocked out for 30 minutes, which felt more like a nap than an actual night's sleep. The average vampire managed two to five hours of sleep a week. For the Uchiha, he needed it every night. He really could've fallen back asleep right here under the heated waterfall…The steamy warmth of the shower was the perfect blanket.

"YO, SASUKE, WE'RE GONNA BE LATE!"

And Naruto was the alarm clock.

.

On the other side of town, a certain pink-haired girl was also having an unpleasant morning.

She rolled out of bed, quite literally, when her face met the floor. Meanwhile, her alarm clock buzzed incessantly on the nightstand above her; a weary hand reached up to turn it off. The next few minutes were a blur because she somehow ended up in her shower. Instead of focusing on proper hygiene, Sakura's mind went blank while her body operated on autopilot.

She had quite a night.

It was safe to say she slept for about half an hour, most of which was unintentional on her part. Her stupid body just did not know how to adjust to her plan for surviving her junior year of high school. The plan? Never sleep. Do all the homework. Study for everything. And never sleep. Sounded like a good idea.

And if a "good idea" meant falling asleep in the shower, then she seemed to have everything under control.

.

Sasuke sat down in his usual seat while Naruto took the seat next to him. His friend was babbling about something, but his mind was somewhere else. From the look of things, his little prey was running late. It caught him off guard; she was usually the punctual one. The first bell rang and Mr. Kakashi started off the lesson with a review on the properties of the unit circle. Sasuke thought about how pissed she would be for missing a lecture; she was usually the one, if not the only one, taking notes. And, oh no, Kakashi just issued a pop quiz. Now, Sakura would be fuming. She cared about her grades more than her own health.

"Sorry, I'm late…," breathed out a beaten Sakura, holding onto the doorframe to keep her from falling. Her hair was completely disheveled and her eyes looked as dead as a buried corpse. She shuffled into the classroom as the teacher was handing out the pop quiz.

"No, you're right on time," said Mr. Kakashi. She could tell he was smiling under that mask because it looked like his eyes smiled, too. But Sakura knew better. After a full week with him as her teacher, she knew that smile had an ulterior motive behind it. "And since you're _right on time,_ I added a couple more questions just for you. How does that sound?"

_Of course._

He handed her a different quiz on her way to her seat. It had 50 questions. 50 long, intimidating questions.

_Since when did "a couple" turn into 50?_

Her eyes scanned the material and she exhaled out in relief. It looked good; she knew most of the material on this quiz. Thank God for cramming. Maybe she could ace it…? Her confidence level went through the roof.

"You have five minutes to complete this quiz. Good luck."

And then it did a complete 180.

_Crap._

Sakura looked around her and saw that the kid to her left had a quiz with only 5 questions. 5 questions in 5 minutes? That's doable. 50 questions in 5 minutes? Impossible. Even Kakashi's NORMAL questions were hell. Now, she has fricking 50 of them right in her fricking face. The numbers and letters morphed into some undecipherable language and stared to jump off the page and strangle her. She spun her cherry blossom pendant furiously, having a panic attack right in her seat.

Sasuke could smell the hysteria radiating off of her. It was delightful, but it wasn't the particular brand he enjoyed. He would've preferred it if _he_ was the reason she was having this episode. Like a reflex, he sprung into action. He pulled the back of her chair close enough for him to whisper in her ear as he leaned over his desk. The girl freaked out even more when she thought her chair was moving on its own.

"You owe me," he whispered quickly. He watched Kakashi put his feet up and read another dirty novel hidden behind a textbook. Good, he was distracted. In a quick movement, the vampire snatched her quiz and switched it with his. When she was about to turn around and protest, he placed his palm over her mouth. Then, he pulled out a pencil and got to work.

Sakura stared in disbelief at the gift from God sitting on her desk.

_Did that really just happen…?_

She turned around in her seat and could still see Sasuke working on her mission impossible. He was breezing through it, like he wasn't even reading the questions at all. At this pace, he was answering questions faster than even Kakashi would have. And here she was, failing his quiz by being completely useless. The pinkette decided to shake off the nerves and try her best, as well.

.

"Time's up." Every head looked up to see Kakashi ready to collect papers. Half the class groaned and the other half rushed to finish any unanswered questions. Sakura belonged in both categories. Sasuke handed up the 50-question quiz for Sakura to write her name on it. She still couldn't believe her eyes. Every answer was filled in, all work shown.

"We don't have all day…," sighed the grey-haired professor whose hair was getting greyer by the second. Once all the papers were in his hand, he said, "Quizzes will be graded by next week. Try not to cry about it until then…"

.

_'Why did I do that…?_' Sasuke thought to himself as he drifted through the crowd of nameless faces. He wasn't a superhero; he isn't supposed to save the day. He wasn't a prince charming, either, so no need to save a damsel in distress. So why would he even bother to lift a finger for her?

Sasuke stopped at his locker on the way to Chemistry. He could feel the atmosphere shift as Sakura passed by, en route to the same class. She didn't notice him or she did a good job of hiding it. She seemed just as distracted as he was, still thinking about her test. Even so, her aroma lingered even when she was further down the hallway.

He inhaled the air for the sole purpose of smelling her sweet cherry-blossom scent. It's been a few days since his last meal and he was managing without the blood of a nobody. While every other scent was dying out, hers was definitely getting stronger. It seemed he was developing an acquired taste to something he has never had before…

A part of him figured that's why he helped her: to get a little closer to her. Just to find another reason to be around Sakura Haruno. But he wanted 500 reasons to be around her, no matter how lame it sounded. It was merely for pragmatic reasons, he wanted to tell himself.

Another part of him figured that he's just crazy and he should get over it by killing her. Now.

Sasuke slammed his locker in frustration.

This was more confusing than Kakashi's test.

* * *

><p>It was a really awkward morning ever since first period. Sakura, who had the next following 5 classes with her math savior, didn't really know what to say to him. A "thank you" would suffice for a normal person, but Sasuke didn't even bring it up afterwards; he barely even looked in her direction at all. It was like a giant barricade surrounded her, keeping a certain good-looking genius away…<p>

"Do I smell?" A brown paper bag crinkled on the lunch table as Sakura took a seat. Hinata, who was sitting across from her, looked up from her textbook and took a whiff of the air.

"No...You smell just like Sakura," she answered with a smile and then went back to her unfinished homework.

"Is that bad?"

"No? You smell _fine_. What's with the weird questions?" asked Ino, placing a fork-full of leafy greens into her mouth. Sakura played with her necklace and thought about the right words to say. Before she could get them out, she lost her train of thought at the sudden outburst.

"Oh my god, it's HIM!" Ino squealed enthusiastically. The blonde was blatantly pointing at the boy that was plaguing Sakura's mind all morning. "That's the new guy everyone's talking about!"

"Everyone_?_" asked Hinata, looking over. "I've never really seen him before…"

_'I have…,'_ Sakura moped internally. She looked over at him with sad eyes, but he didn't return the favor.

"He transferred here like, last week? He's _so_ hot…can anyone say _gorgeous_?" purred Ino, biting her lip with a sly smile. "I think I'm_ in love…_"

"_In love_? You barely know him," Sakura rolled her eyes. _If anyone deserves Sasuke, it's me! I saw him first!_

"Oh, puh-lease! I can be in love with whoever I want! Who are you, the love police?" Ino responded with a dash of immaturity. Sakura had a comeback on the tip of her tongue, but didn't want to stoop to her level.

"You're crazy, Ino…" _Yeah, a crazy _bitch_! BACK OFF._

"What can I say? Love makes you do crazy things. Right, Hinata?" Ino nodded confidently. She turned her head to the dark-haired girl who was completely distracted. "Hinata…?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow and followed Hinata's line of sight. She was looking over at Sasuke too, sitting a few tables down. _Don't tell me the whole school is in love with him!_

"Ohhh, I get it… Hinata's got the hots for Naruto!" exclaimed the blonde, jumping up and down in her seat. Hinata's face flushed instantly. That was all the proof she needed. "That's cute!"

"I-Ino! Quiet! He'll hear you…," whispered Hinata, stealing glances as the blonde boy sitting next to Sasuke.

_'Well, that makes sense now…,'_ thought Sakura as she couldn't help but look over as well. It was as if all the good-looking boys in school decided to sit together and bask in their unobtainable beauty.

Kiba Inuzuka sat at the same table. He had the hunky-aggressive animal-lover thing going on. There was Shikamaru Nara; a true genius, but he was lazier than a pile of bricks. Then, there was Hinata's older cousin, Neji Hyuuga. He had the class, the brains, and the seriousness of a true aristocrat. Of course, Naruto Uzumaki: the secretly charming joker. And, last but certainly not least, Sasuke Uchiha.

_'Sasuke…,_' Sakura thought sadly. _'How would I describe Sasuke?'_

He was definitely confusing. A complete jerk one minute, then a knight in shining armor the next. She has no idea what goes on in that unstable head of his. She didn't really understand him, but then again, she barely knew much about him. At this point, she was just as bad as Ino…

"I _need_ to go over there and talk to him!" Ino announced happily. "But he can wait... I'll make him suffer. He'll be dying to talk to me by the end of the week. Just watch…"

_And it's only Monday…_ Sakura placed her head down on the lunch table, completely crushed. With a nearly even score, Ino definitely had the advantage: the courage, the charm, the charisma. Not the mention the difference in cup size... All Sakura had in her arsenal were her "striking features". But "striking" doesn't always translate to "appealing." Sure, she had the brains, but would Sasuke really go for nerds, anyway?

"I should learn his name! Yeaaah, that would be a good start…"

_Fuck Mondays. _

* * *

><p>Clad in her red and white uniform, Sakura stood by the desk at the nurse's station. She watched countless nurses run back and forth in what almost looked like a chaotic mess. Today, the nursing staff was being evaluated by Dr. Tsunade, so everyone was trying to be on top of their game. Meanwhile, Sakura was busying herself with filing papers in alphabetical order. It wasn't exactly the most demanding assignment, but her work was so sloppy that it was on the verge of being catastrophic. Her emotions were in too much of a whirlwind for her to get her head on straight.<p>

"Sakura! Since when did 'X' come before 'C'? C'mon, get your head in the game!" Shizune ordered as she quickly checked the filing cabinet. Shizune was buried under her own work. The woman hurried downed the hospital wing and disappeared into another patient's room.

"Oh…right, sorry…," the candy striper managed to murmur before spacing out once again.

_'Of all guys in the whole school, it just HAD to be him…Seriously, Ino? You couldn't have drooled over someone else?_' Sakura sulked to herself. _'Ugh, it's no use…Ino always gets what she wants…_

_Even if it is Sasuke…'_

"Okay, what's the matter? You're making me worried," a sudden voice asked. Sakura looked up to see Dr. Tsunade placing down a pile of papers and giving Sakura her full attention. "Let me guess. Boy trouble?"

"How'd you know?" Sakura reacted in bewilderment. _And when did you even get here?_

"You're not that hard to figure out, Sakura," the chief winked at her. "He must be really important, too, for you to not even notice the Chief of Medicine was standing right here the whole time," she laughed. "Plus, when I was your age, I had my share of boy-related problems, too."

"Doesn't everyone?" smiled Sakura, trying to hide her distress. But Tsunade was already one step ahead of her.

"Tell me about it, I could use a break," the elder suggested with true intentions of helping out. Sakura hesitated to answer.

"It's okay, I'll be fine... I'm sure things will get better, somehow…" _Not._

"Well, take the rest of the night off, anyway. At this rate, the files will be starting from Z and ending with god knows what."

Sakura chuckled and agreed to leave the extra hour early. She was ready to go to the locker room and change out of her uniform when Tsunade placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If you ever need someone to talk to…just remember: there _are_ some perks to working at a hospital."

_I'll keep that in mind if I ever think of offing myself..._ "Thanks, Dr. Tsunade. You always know the right thing to say."

.

Sakura stepped off the bus, but still had a long way to walk home. There was only one bus running that would get her anywhere remotely close to her house, but it beats waiting for her usual 10 o'clock bus for another hour. Her time schedule felt a little off since her departure, but she was still thankful for the empathetic gesture from the chief herself.

The girl braced for the cold when a chilly breeze wisped around, making fallen leaves dance in the streets. The streetlamps were only lighting the roads for her; she could see no one else walking this late at night. Even so, she felt chills from an eerie feeling in the pit of her stomach.

That feeling that someone was following you.

She whipped her head around and her rosy locks followed suit. There was no one in sight, but the feeling wasn't dying down. She trusted her warning-senses; they never failed her before. But were her eyes lying to her? The dreadful feeling was only getting stronger.

_Calm down, Sakura! You're just being paranoid. The more you think about it, the worse it gets…_

The lone walker convinced herself to start thinking of random things like food, homework, movies, Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke…

_Damn it, what is WRONG with me?_

While she was mentally punishing herself, she heard a wary sound from behind. It stopped her right in her tracks. Her paranoia was kicking into full gear again.

"Hello?" she called out, half-expecting an answer. For a minute, she strained her ears to hear a response. Nothing came, but the chills down her spine. Of course. In all the horror movies, no one bothered to answer back… But then, the distorted sound came again. It was coming closer.

Louder.

Her breath quickened, along with her pace. Her eyes darted in all directions, looking around for the source, but she was completely alone. Just her and her shadow.

Adrenaline was pumping through her veins as she was nearly running now. As she took a step, Sakura heard a distressed screech that made her yelp out loud. She felt herself step on something…

She looked down and found the culprit, licking its wounded tail. Sakura sighed in relief.

"It's just a cat," she said to no one in particular. Sakura felt like a dumbass, but still felt the giant weight lift off her shoulders. She bent down and placed a hand out to pet the little creature. It was surprisingly friendly, even after Sakura flattened its tail. Its furry head leaned into Sakura's hand, encouraging more petting. The girl happily obliged and ran her fingers through pale-brown fur and noticed darker brown patterns on the cat's forehead and cheeks. Sakura thought it was the cutest thing ever.

"I wish I could take you home with me," Sakura smiled sadly as she stood up to continue her walk home. The cat responded with several meows and followed along. She felt bad for hurting it, but the cat seemed fine now, happier even. "Are you sure you want to come? I don't know how my mom feels about cats…"

"Merow, Mreow!"

"…GAAH! Why are you so CUTE!"

Sakura laughed wholeheartedly and picked up the animal in her arms. Her previously saddened heart completely melted and turned into a pool of glee. She couldn't help that she was a sucker for adorable little felines, especially ones that were as cute as this. The cat, which turned out to be a female, was unexpectedly tolerant of being carried around like a baby. She enjoyed the warmth of Sakura's body heat the rest of the walk home. Once at the front door, the girl fiddled with her key and managed to kick the door open. Before she could even get inside, her new friend jumped out of her arms and looked like it was about to run off. Instead, it just sat at the doorstep.

"Don't you wanna come inside? It's getting cold," Sakura warned, kneeling down. The cat meowed, as if it actually understood what the pinkette had said, and let itself in.

_'Man, cats are weird,'_ she thought as she closed the door behind them. '_Maybe she's just not used to my house yet…_' Sakura pulled out some turkey cold cuts from the fridge and shredded it into tiny pieces. The meat was placed in a small plastic bowl and onto the floor. The girl sat down and watched as the hazelnut cat ate its makeshift dinner. It was fascinating, even though she's seen animals eat food thousands of times before. This time was different. It wasn't a lion stalking around the savannah or a shark chomping down on some chum on TV.

This time the animal was right in front of her. Her cat.

She felt giddy thinking about actually calling it hers.

.

Multiple chemistry textbooks were lying open to random pages on the crowded desk. Sakura's mind was fully focused on how to find the pH of a solution that carried a mix of different elements. She pushed some buttons on the calculator and jotted down some calculations into her notebook. The pencil wiggled between her fingers as she tried to make sense of all the gobbledygook scribbled on the paper in front of her.

On the floor, the feline sat and watched Sakura work the night away. Its tail swished back and forth, hoping to catch the owner's attention. It was already 3 in the morning, and by the looks of it, Sakura was well aware of that. She yawned heavily and nearly dozed off before getting back to the chemistry problem. The cat took it upon itself to pull the tired student away from her work. With a graceful leap, it landed on top of the textbook. The sleepyhead couldn't resist.

"Hi there," she said, immediately forgetting about chemistry. "Tired, too, aren't cha?"

She earned a meow in response.

"I can't blame you…" Sakura watched the cat jump onto her bed and curl into a ball on the soft sheets. A bed never looked more welcoming. This little creature was definitely sent from hell to tempt her. And damn it all, it was working.

"Oh well…What's _one_ missing homework?" she asked rhetorically, putting her pencil down and crawling onto her safehaven. She lay on her stomach and tickled the feline's fur. Gentle purrs erupted from the cat's throat. After another yawn, Sakura tucked herself in and her fury friend went by her side to curl up against her.

"You know…" Sakura mumbled before drifting off to sleep. "I still need to give you a name..."

* * *

><p>"Hina…" came a quiet whisper. "Hina is a good name! Hinaaa…."<p>

Sakura slept peacefully under her many blankets and puffy comforter. She snoozed softly as the hours ticked by. The cat, on the other hand, was wide awake and leaning closer to the human's ear.

"Hinaaa! Call me Hina…"

"Hina!" hissed an unclear voice. "What on earth are you doing?"

The feline whipped her head around to see a fellow cat sitting outside the open window. It was a darker-colored cat, with brown-black ears and a poufy tail. After instantly recognizing him, Hina leaped onto the dresser and rushed to the windowsill.

"I'm just giving her a little hint, that's all," she explained through the window's mesh netting. "_I_ can't tell her what my name is, but her subconscious can."

"That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard," spoke the male cat, perching on a long tree branch. "And I've been around for _many years_."

"You're such a skeptic, Denka," the female shook her head. "So, how would you explain talking cats? Hmm?"

"Vampirism may have something to do with it… Bah! I didn't come here to talk nonsense," spat Denka, getting back on topic. "Master wants a progress report."

"Mmm…There really isn't much to report on. She's just a regular human…She eats, sleeps, studies, does her homework. Nothing suspicious here."

Denka tilted his head in confusion. "Are you sure you have the right girl?"

"Now, that's just insulting! Honestly, how many humans have green eyes and pink hair?"

"Fair enough…but he won't be very happy when he hears this," Denka warned. He can already see the look of disapproval on his master's face. Even in his imagination, it wasn't pretty.

"Want to come in here and see for yourself?" challenged Hina, claws bearing.

"You know I can't! The girl has to invite me inside..."

"Then just take my word for it! I'll let you know if anything new comes up…," Hina said as she jumped off the dresser and back to Sakura's side. Denka rolled his eyes and leaped from the tree. Four nimble paws landed on the ground and headed towards home.

.

Denka sprinted through the vast yard and ended in front of an opening in the ground leading to the basement. The cellar doors were slightly ajar, so he slipped through the opening with ease. The hallway was dimly lit as always, but louder than ever. A sickening scream echoed and bounced off the stone surroundings, but it soon stopped, followed by the sound of blood splatter repainting the walls. Even without searching for a scent, he instantly knew which room to check in.

The killer was standing over a mangled body completely drained of blood; the rest of the red, either dripping from the ceiling or coating his hands. He brought his fingers to his lips and licked them hungrily before he noticed the vampire cat sitting at the door.

"Denka."

After being acknowledged, the cat walked inside and sat at the vampire's feet.

"Master." Denka bowed his head. Even after serving the Master's family for ages, he never failed to show respect to his owners. "Hina didn't find anything strange about the target. She's quite…_normal_."

"I figured as much," the man responded before taking a seat against the wall. Denka followed behind. "I already know she's not a vampire."

"If you already knew, why are we keeping an eye on her?" Denka asked curiously. With a thousand years of experience behind him, he knew an Uchiha never did something without reason. Denka sat patiently, not wanting to step out of place. It was quiet for a few minutes, since the man didn't respond. Suddenly, Sasuke stood up and walked towards the door.

"…She interests me."

* * *

><p>The Intruder<p>

.

.

**Please review. **

Denka and Hina are actual characters in Naruto.


	7. The Rivalry

Bright green eyes wandered, taking in the whole picture of the room. Burgundy velvet curtains draped over the window-less black walls. Brass candelabras carried decorative candles that set the mood. The sultry piano music lingering in the background was the perfect touch. A stained cherry wood table sat in the middle of the room. Two chairs. One small, flickering candle.

Sakura stood in a sleek, black dress that reached the floor and folded around her feet. The strapless style showed off her creamy skin that still managed to sparkle in the dim setting. Some long, matching gloves reached up past her elbow and ended with a touch of lace. Her heels clacked against the glossy black marble. As she gracefully sat down, a pair of onyx eyes watched her.

"Black doesn't suit you," said the man sitting in an elegant midnight suit. A second later, she observed her ensemble as it turned colors instantly.

Blood red.

"Perfect." He reached over and tucked a strand of strawberry hair behind her ear. The two crystal glasses sitting on the table carried crimson red liquid. They each picked up a wineglass and gave a quick toast before acknowledging the intense atmosphere between them.

The spark was undeniable.

"Sasuke…," she whispered desperately, placing the glassware down on the table before having a taste. She was falling for him. His eyes, his lips, everything… her feelings for him kept building up and up. She felt like she was going to explode into a million pieces if she kept them to herself.

"I love you."

And there it was. That devious smirk again.

"You don't even know me," he growled seductively as he took a long sip from his glass. He slowly leaned in closer. The flickering candle gave an ominous feel that always racked the back of her mind. But she ignored it.

She wanted him.

"I-I don't care! I…I want to get to know you! Everything…" She looked down at her lap. The nervous habit of playing with her necklace started up again. A strong hand took hold of her wrist, stopping her. He pulled her along and she clumsily jumped out of the satin chair. Sasuke walked until her back was against the wall and he pinned her, both hands at the side of her face.

Her heart was beating painfully fast. Sakura could no longer hear the music; only the pounding in her ears. She began to wonder if her face was turning into the shade of her dress. She couldn't even find the air to breath.

"Sakura…," he whispered dangerously, "You're making a mistake…" Every ounce of her body believed the same thing…except her heart.

His hand caressed her cheek and she hopelessly collapsed into him. His perfect lips dotted her neck with lustful kisses as deep groans rumbled from his throat. She moaned and tilted her neck back as his hot breath tickled her delicate skin. She didn't want this to end.

"No…I'm not…"

_You're making a mistake…_

_A mistake._

* * *

><p>[7] The Rivalry<p>

* * *

><p>"SAKURAAAAA!"<p>

Air rushed back into Sakura's lungs the moment she sat up in her bed. She took gasps of air and placed her palm on her heart. It was beating incredibly fast.

"It was just a dream…," she breathed out. _But it felt so real…Sasuke… felt so real._ Her cheeks were burning up.

_His kisses…_

God, how she wished it was real.

"SAKURA, GET DOWN HERE."

Sakura shifted in her bed and looked at the clock on her nightstand. The alarm didn't even go off yet. Even if it did, it would still be too early to deal with angry mama Haruno. She groaned and got out of bed, wondering what the hell she did wrong this time.

"Whaaat?" grunted Sakura, walking into the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus, only to see an annoyed middle-aged woman, carrying a cat by the loose skin at the back of its neck.

"Why is there an _animal_ in this house?"

_Busted._

* * *

><p>She couldn't help but stare... and maybe drool a little. He was so <em>mesmerizing.<em> Plus, she did just have the most provocative dream of her life starring Sasuke Uchiha last week. She deserved front rows seats, right? Sakura was craving a bucket of popcorn right now as she daydreamed about his lips…

Meanwhile, Sasuke was standing by Shikamaru and Naruto near the front door.

"That quiz last week? Fuuuck, it was terrible…," complained Naruto, scratching the top of his head. "I didn't even get the first question…"

"Really? I thought it was simple enough…," responded Shikamaru, leaning against the back of his chair. He characteristically shrugged his shoulders and slipped his hands into his side pockets.

"Shut up, dude. No one likes a bragger!"

"Bragging? I'm just saying, man…"

"Speaking of the quiz…," Kakashi barged in. "You'll be getting them back today. Don't be surprised if you see more red pen than pencil…"

Naruto gulped down his anxiety and walked over to his seat. As Kakashi walked around the room, Naruto poked the daydreaming Sakura to get her to notice him.

"Hey Sakura! Whaddja think of the quiz?"

"The quiz? Oh, uh…," Sakura stumbled on her words. Was she allowed to just tell Naruto that Sasuke cheated for her?

"It was alright, I guess…" _How should I know? I barely did any of it…_

Just then, a paper marked with red ink was dropped on her desk. She was excited to get her perfect 100, thanks to her knight in shining armor. However, it turned out to be a bloody massacre of x-marks and cross-outs. Her self-esteem fell every time her eyes laid on a new red blotch. The second she saw her big fat zero written on top of the page, she nearly died all together.

_What the FUCK?_

She turned around in her seat to see her so called knight picking up his perfect grade that she earned for him. She threw down her first failing grade of the year and gave him a very dirty look.

"Damnnn, a zero? Wow, that's worse than what I got!" said Naruto, showing them his 25%. "I thought you said the quiz was alright, Sakura. What happened?"

"I. Don't. Know." she answered between grinded teeth. "Why don't you tell me, _Sasuke?_"

He snatched the paper and looked it over carefully. Calculations were flying around in his head before he handed it over to the failure in front of him.

"All these answers are right," he stated simply. "Talk to Kakashi about it, it's not my problem."

.

All the other students filed out the front door as Sakura stayed behind. She stood at the teacher's desk and waited for Kakashi to finish erasing the board. He then reviewed his red-pen masterpiece before giving her bad news.

"You cheated."

"What!" Sakura was appalled. Not because he was accusing her, because she was guilty as charged. But the fact that he actually knew… "How could I cheat? No one else had the same test!"

"Exactly…" Kakashi rubbed his chin. "Tell me how you did it. You're a smart girl, Sakura, but not _that_ smart."

She wasn't sure if she should be insulted or not.

"I…" Sakura played with her necklace yet again. _I can't just rat on Sasuke! He'd hate me forever!_

"There's even some material on this test that I didn't begin to cover in class…," he added, eyeing the quiz.

_REALLY? Frick, I'm screwed!_ "Uh…well, I like to…study? Yeah, I like to study ahead. It makes me feel more confident during your lessons."

Kakashi belted out a single laugh before leaning in and giving a very daunting look. "Tell me the truth, Sakura. Unless you like the sound of detention for the rest of the year. "

She was sweating bullets. "Uhm…"

.

Sakura still felt the uneasiness the moment she stepped out of the classroom. The raincloud over her head just continued to build and build. Sasuke kicked off the wall he was leaning against and continued to walk with her. She wasn't surprised that he stayed behind to eavesdrop; his after-school life was under fire just as much as hers was.

"He lied," Sasuke pointed out as they walked down the hall to Chem.

"Lied? How would he lie? He _knew_ I cheated…," she moped.

"No, you practically told him you cheated."

"_How?_ I didn't say anything wrong…"

"Your body language," he said, turning to look at her. He could see her slouched figure, the sullen face, the slow-paced walking; she was obviously miserable. He read her like an open book. Hell, anyone with eyes could see it. "And there wasn't any _new material_ on the quiz. Didn't you even look at it?"

"What? I did look at it! But, damn it…I don't know! He was _grilling_ me questions, and I just panicked!"

"You're not very good under pressure, are you?"

* * *

><p><em>'Great…,'<em> Sakura thought as she slouched in her seat. _'Now Sasuke knows I'm an idiot FOR SURE…'_

Unaware of Sakura's internal wounds, Ino continued reporting the latest news at KHS.

"Okay, so I heard about this party that tramp, Ami, was throwing. She's a downright slut, but whatever. This party is supposed to be epic! We NEED to go," announced Ino, holding up her water bottle in the air. She slammed it down against the lunch table to make a point. Hinata jumped at the sudden earthquake and Sakura just placed her head down in self-deprecation.

"Volunteering at the hospital again…"

"I think I might have violin practice…"

"Oh shush, you liars! I didn't even tell you the date yet," the blonde shook her head in disappointment and continued. "We may not be the _best_ of friends, because duh, I have you guys, but Ami sent me an invite anyway. It's this Friday and get this! It's at the _Dead End_."

"I thought that street was…haunted or something…," murmured Hinata.

"Seriously? That sounds really fishy…," Sakura commented, not sure of what to think about this _invite_. "What if she's just trying to pull your leg? Are you sure you wanna go to this?"

"Of COURSE, I want to go to this! Did you forget who you're talking to? All the best Halloween parties are thrown at the Dead End, you guys know that. Heck, EVERYONE knows that. Everyone who's ANYONE will be there. So, we should go!"

"Ehm…I don't know, Ino…," Hinata answered, fiddling her with her fingers. Sakura gave her party-crazy friend a warning look.

"Fine!" she huffed babyishly, but then a sudden twinkle in her blue eyes appeared. "Buuuuut… I know that Sasuke and Naruto are on the guest list, too! Imagine who else will be there!"

"What? Now you're just making stuff up," challenged Sakura. She didn't really peg the Uchiha as an alcohol-binging party animal.

"Nope! I'll _make sure_ Sasuke goes. I'll even ask him myself." Ino stepped over the bench and eyed the boys' table. Ino was really going to go over to Sasuke and ask him to Ami's party. Sakura hung her head. Ino definitely had the edge over her; she at least had the guts. Sakura saw herself as a pathological liar with a history of failing.

_Great, just the kind of girl Sasuke would want…_

Just when the wave of defeat was settling in, Sakura felt a tug on her arm.

"Forehead girl! You're coming with me!"

"Wh-WHAT?"

.

"So, didja hear about that party?" asked Kiba, looking over a foxy magazine he happened to snatch from home. He turned the article vertically to get a better look at the goods.

"What party're you talking about?" asked Naruto, who was leaning next to Kiba to get in on the action.

"This chick's Halloween party. Iunno her name, but it's supposed to be awesome. You guys in?"

"Not worth it," Shikamaru took a sip of his bottled water. "Too much effort on my part."

"Does _breathing_ take too much effort for you?" inquired Neji, being a wiseass.

"Some days," the lazy one responded in all seriousness. Neji just shrugged at the half-expected answer.

"I might make it," answered Neji, pulling out a leather-bound planner. "I'll have to check my schedule…"

"Hey, count me in! It's not a party unless Uzumaki's in the house!" Naruto laughed out loud.

"_Alright_! Yo, Sasuke, How 'bout you? Wanna go? There's gonna be boobs and booze." Kiba flashed a deviant smile, showing his sharp canines and pearly whites.

Sasuke was resting his cheek against his palm when he looked up at the dog boy. He wasn't really interested in parties, let alone _human_ ones. He felt like taking Shikamaru's side on this. Too much effort. Waste of time.

Why would he possibly want to go?

"YOOHOO, SASUKE!"

Everyone at the table turned to see Ino Yamanaka practically skipping with joy towards them. Everyone, but the one she actually came to see; he just faced forward and continued to ignore her. She was waste-of-time #2. For Sasuke, it was getting hard to ignore her when she pushed Naruto out of the way and took the seat next to him.

"So…," she started off, clearly blushing. "You should go to Ami's party with me. It'll be a _great_ time, I promise. You won't regret it." She finished off with a sultry wink and a batting of eyelashes. Sasuke just sighed. He had 50 other things he'd rather be doing than going to a party. With this annoying bimbo.

"Sakura! Are you gonna go? It's gonna be a kickass party 'cause I'll be there!" asked Naruto with a smile brighter than the sun. Sasuke turned his head and saw her, still taking her sweet time coming over to their lunch table. She looked clearly uncomfortable.

"I guess…," she answered morosely. _I'm being forced against my will here!_

"Hey, don't look so sad. Drink up at the party, you'll forget all about it later," Kiba said, standing up and patting her on the back.

_Forget about failing? Maybe. _

_Forget I'm a complete idiot? Sure. _

_But forgetting that Ino gets to go with Sasuke…?_

She stole a quick glance at him. Ino grabbed onto his arm and snuggled against his shoulder. He didn't seem too happy about it. But would he even be much happier with her?

_That might take a while. _

* * *

><p>"What should I wearrr?" asked Ino, pulling out hanger after hanger out of her closet. Sakura sat on the floor while Hinata climbed on the bed and watched the blonde's wardrobe fly across the room.<p>

"A costume would be a good idea," retorted Sakura, keeping her nose between the pages of her next Literature assignment.

"Har har, Ms. Smartypants. Don't be so pissy. You'd be crying your eyes out if you missed this party."

"I'd rather be crying than puking my guts out." She cringed at the mental image of a bunch of teenagers blowing chunks from over drinking. It's not exactly how she enjoys spending her Friday nights. Or any other night of the week, for that matter.

"You can be doing both at once! That way, you won't have to choose. Great, right?" Ino remarked sarcastically. She held up a shirt to match her costume idea. "Okay, does this shirt say 'Hey baby, I'd ride your stallion any day' or 'Fuck me, I'm a slut'?

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Um, I don't really get the difference…," Hinata said apprehensively. "It's a nice shirt though?"

"The difference is one is more subtle than the other. I don't want Sasuke to think I'm a prude, but I don't want him to think I'm a whore either…" Ino threw the shirt into the pile accumulating in the corner and dug through her closet yet again. "And I can't wear a _nice_ shirt to see him. It needs to be the _perfect_ shirt! Why. Can't. I. FIND ANYTHING?"

Sakura just snorted at Ino's try-hard attempts.

"Maybe we can go shopping tomorrow after school? When I bought my costume, I saw a lot of other options there," suggested Hinata, future ballerina extraordinaire.

"Hmm…I think Sasuke deserves to see me in a freshly purchased outfit…," Ino thought aloud.

Every time Ino mentioned his name, Sakura wanted to stab her.

"Do you think they'd have a cow girl outfit?" ask Ino with her head still in the closet.

"I don't see why not…?"

"Alright, I'm in. Hey, Pinkie, you're coming, right?" asked Ino, holding her cow girl hat. She had her other hand resting on her hip in a feisty manner.

"Sorry to disappoint you, _pig,_ but I'll just see you at the party," growled Sakura, taking her book and stomping out of Ino's bedroom.

"What's eating her?" spat Ino. Hinata shrugged but couldn't help but feel bad.

Sakura marched down the stairs and left the loft through the back entrance with different Halloween costumes in mind.

_I'm not letting her win this..._

_No way in HELL. _

* * *

><p>Was it a pride thing? Yes. Was it a jealousy thing? Absolutely. But no matter how mad she could get or how annoyed she could be, Sakura wouldn't just abandon her friends.<p>

It was the night before Halloween and the trio began walking from Hinata's place towards the Dead End.

"So, where's Sasuke…?" asked Sakura, clad in her usual candy striper uniform. Except this time, she wasn't headed towards the hospital. The pinstriped dress was tailored to end at her mid-thigh, showing off a little bit of leg. She wore white knee-high stockings with little red bows that accented the garter. A little nurse's cap with a small red cross sat on the top of her pink head.

"He said he'll '_meet me there_.' Oh my goddd, I'm so excited!" squeaked the slutty cowgirl. Her heeled boots clacked on the concrete as they entered the disturbing cul-de-sac.

"Aren't you cold, Ino?" asked Hinata, wearing a lavender tutu and a navy-colored body suit. The ballerina just shivered as she looked at Ino's denim short shorts. They were almost non-existent and Ino's shirt didn't reach that low. Shocker.

"I'm fine! Sasuke's love will keep me warm for the rest of the night," Ino purred as she twisted her finger around her one of her side ponytails. For a minute, Sakura wished she was actually at the hospital; she was going to be sick if Ino said anything more...

"Damn, this place gives me the creeps," commented the candy striper, huddling closer to her posse. The houses were incredibly large and were undeniably beautiful, maybe a hundred years ago. Now, they were completely empty and no one has lived in them for years. That still didn't change the fact that they were spooky as shit. The full moon and whistling wind added to the creepy atmosphere. At the end of the street, the mother of all haunted mansions loomed quietly behind the mist. Sakura heard about the Halloween pranks and rituals that happen around here, but she never figured she'd be one to join them.

"Oh, this is it, guys!" Ino pointed at their destination. The front yard was decorated with stringy cob webs and fake tomb stones with dorky phrases like "see you soon" or "I'll be right back." Through the windows, the girls could see flashing lights and colorful patterns. As they walked up the drive way, they could feel the pounding of the epic bass from the club music. "Ready for the first night of the rest of your LIVES!"

Ino clapped her hands excitingly. Sakura and Hinata exchanged unsure looks before following along.

When Sakura walked into the house, it was…surprisingly lively. The disco ball hanging from the high ceiling sparkled onto the dancers bumping and grinding. Strobe lights and flashing laser projectors scanned the floor and reached every corner of the house. There were large speakers pounding out heavy music that controlled the tempo of the room. The tons of students she barely recognized were from KHS, but it was hard to tell who everyone was when they were all grinding up against each other.

Ami really did a great job with the place. The old-styled house was revamped with flashing lights and techno music. The air wasn't musty or stifling at all. Even though she was a class A bitch, she really did know how to throw a party.

"See? What'd I tell you?" Ino yelled above the music. "Isn't this awesome?" Sakura could barely hear what she said, but read her lips just fine. She nodded, but signaled to Ino that she couldn't hear her. Ino quickly pulled out her phone and began to text a message:

**im gonna find sasuke. TTYL!**

Sakura nodded yet again. _Not if I can find him first…_

Ino continued to text on her phone as she tried to glide through the crowd. In a few seconds, she disappeared in the sea of moving bodies.

_'Great, now's my chance!_' thought Sakura as she sprinted towards the main stairwell that overlooked the entire living room. She figured a bird's eye view of the place would give her a better chance of finding him before cow-slut did. Yes, she and Ino have been best friends since diapers, but some healthy competition never hurt anyone.

This was her chance to show Sasuke how much of a not-loser-idiot she truly was. When she reached the top of the stairs, she leaned over the railing, searching through the crowd far and wide. _C'mon Sasuke, where are you?_

It was funny how much she went through to find a guy she originally hated with her entire being.

.

Hinata watched Ino run into the crowd and Sakura run off to…elsewhere.

"Um, guys?" she asked. No one listened. Just when she figured the night was ruined, Hinata heard a familiar voice:

"Hey Hinata!"

She spun around quickly when she heard her name and her mood lifted instantly.

"Oh, N-Naruto!"

"Long time no see, huh?" he winked and nudged his bandaged elbow at her. She blushed uncontrollably, but hoped he would just assume it was the colorful lighting. Naruto attempted the mummy costume by wrapping himself in toilet paper. It was a sad attempt, but it was still cute in a comical way.

"And wow, you look…uh, pretty! Hahaha." He scratched the back of his head and continued to laugh. Pieces of blonde started to stick out in between the wrappings.

"Th-thank you…," she murmured as she touched the hem of her tutu nervously. "…You look good too, Naruto."

Naruto picked up every mumbled word she was saying even when the music blasted behind him. After a new song started up, he took her hand and brought her out to the middle of the dance floor.

"Ah! Na-Naruto! W-Wait!"

"A ballet dancer should know how to dance right?" he grinned at her. That was what she always liked about Naruto; his silliness and smile always coaxed her own smile out of hiding. She chuckled as he twirled her around in what limited space they had.

"Hey, you're pretty good!"

.

The candy striper groaned when she couldn't find his stupid emo hair anywhere. There were a bunch of partygoers taking drinks in the corner of the room. No Sasuke there. The dance floor was crowded with an unsafe amount of people, but not one of them was him. The second floor she was on was completely empty. She rested against the balcony's railing to think. _Where else could he be?_

Suddenly, her ears picked up a muffled moan from a room close by. _Maybe it's not so empty after all…_

She slowly treaded into the quiet hallway to see multiple finely-carved doors. Not sure of which one to pick, she pressed her ear against the first door to her right. The blasting melodies from downstairs impaired most of her hearing, so she decided to rely on her sight instead. She peaked inside and just saw old-fashioned bedroom that looked surprisingly clean.

_'Did Ami hire an entire cleaning crew or what?'_ pondered the pinkette as she closed the door. Sakura jumped as she heard a long drawn-out moan this time. It was coming from the last door on the right…

"Hello?" she asked, knocking a few times before entering. From the looks of it, it was suppose to be a storage room. There were wooden crates piled on top of one another and an old mannequin standing near the door. However, random beer bottles and party cups were scattered along the floor… When she heard the moaning again, she knew this was the right place. Sakura walked into the room to investigate and hoped to god the moans weren't from who she thought they were coming from…

When Sakura peeked behind a large pile of boxes, her stomached dropped. A purple haired girl had her back against the wood-panel wall. The expression on her face explained everything perfectly. The guy covering her greedily sucked on her exposed neck while keeping his hands firmly on her waist. Ami seemed to be enjoying the kisses quite nicely.

Well, it wasn't Ino...

So why did she still feel like the biggest idiot in the world?

Tears were welled up in her eyes and blurred her vision. She didn't want to see anymore of this…

"…Sasuke?"

* * *

><p>The Rivalry<p>

.

.

**Please review.**


	8. The Temptation

Sasuke dropped his backpack near his side table as he fell face first onto his royal sized bed. While Naruto was out with the gang, the entire estate was silent and still. Sasuke refused the invite to find some peace and tranquility on his own time. Sunlight still managed to slither through the cracks of the blinds as the vampire snuggled his face into a feathery pillow. He was never really fond of the sun, so he often enjoyed his sunrise slumber or afternoon naps. It was a long day at school and Sasuke took advantage of this great opportunity to spend some quality time with his mattress.

Just when he was finally dozing off, he heard his cell phone play a tune that never sounded more aggravating. He grumbled incoherent words when he lazily reached down to sift through the contents of his backpack. He pulled out his sleek, chrome phone and placed his ear to the receiver.

"Hello…," he grumbled as he rubbed his face. He squinted at the clock sitting next to his bed.

_3:24_. He's only been home for less than half an hour and _already_ someone was bothering him. So much for peace and tranquility.

After hearing static at the other end, Sasuke contemplated just going back to sleep for an hour or so…

"Helloooo? Sasuke? Is that you…? Oh my god! It is! It's really you!" came an extremely chirpy voice. At the current state he was in, chirpy only translated into annoying.

"Who is this and how did you get this number?" he asked angrily. It's not every day that he gave out his phone number, especially to random fan girls who would end up calling him and ruining his naptime. He sat on the edge of his bed as he waited for a response.

"It's INO. I asked you to _escort_ me to Ami's party today, remember? You _are_ coming, right?"

"How. Did. You. Get. This. Number," he demanded, completely disregarding her question. Her attempt at flirting with him only made things worse.

Annoying giggling. "Secret, Secret!"

"I'm going to fucking kil-" _Relax, Sasuke. She's not worth it. Not yet. _"…Why are you calling me?"

"_Hell-Ooooh._ The party? This Friday? You _are_ going, right? I mean- _We're_ goin-"

"Whatever, I'll meet you there," he blurted out as he hung up on her. There was only so much of Ino a sane person can take. And he wasn't even anywhere near the pinnacle of sanity.

He just figured there should be a law against people as obnoxious as her.

He also figured that he could just ditch her and not go.

Yeah, that sounded like a damn good plan.

* * *

><p>[8] The Temptation<p>

* * *

><p>"Whaddaya mean you're not going? It's gonna be like, the party of the year!" exclaimed Naruto as he flailed his arms in shock.<p>

It was a windy Wednesday, but that didn't stop Mr. Gai from throwing his students out onto the track and field for gym class. He wanted the youths of today to feel the gifts of nature as much as they can until it became illegal to stick them out in the snow. He had an issue with it last year, but with a few cuts in his pay check, he seemed to get the message quite nicely.

As Gai encouraged the students running by, Naruto ran on the outer lane of the track. He was trying to catch up to Sasuke who was purposefully gaining speed to avoid confrontation. It was working because the pursuer looked like he was having a little bit of trouble catching up without looking too obviously supernatural.

"You heard me, Naruto. I'm not going," Sasuke spoke as he swerved around the other students. He never enjoyed repeating himself, but Uzumaki never seemed to get the hint. He knew Naruto would continue to bother him, but with a few strategic turns, the blonde got stuck behind the line of girls laughing and taking up every lane on the track. Naruto got frustrated as he grumbled colorful words and started walking behind moving designer tracksuits.

As expected.

Sasuke smirked to himself. Up ahead, he could see a different group of girls slowly jogging and he just couldn't control his curiosity.

.

"I'm tired…You guys go ahead, I _hate_ running. I get all sweaty and… _yuck_," Ino pouted as she dropped onto a steel bench on the side. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and started tapping the screen.

"Are you sure?" asked Hinata, slowing down to a stop. "We can wait for you, Ino."

Sakura followed and took a peek at Ino's phone. It looked like she was texting…_ Sasuke? When did she even get his number?_

"Yeah, yeah. Just go! I'm alright over here…," Ino smiled widely as she thought of more things to type down. It only got Sakura's blood boiling.

"Whatever. Let's go, Hinata," she responded sternly. She pulled the confused girl along and they started up into a light jog. After a complete lap in uncomfortable silence, Hinata spoke up.

"Are you okay, Sakura? You seem mad…ever since we went to Ino's house yesterday…," Hinata asked carefully, not wanting to set her off. She knew Sakura had a scary temper when she was mad.

"Yeeeah, just _peachy_," she answered sourly, keeping her angry eyes on the track. _Trust me, it started LONG before that…_

It would seem that her temper either went into passive-aggressive mode or screaming-banshee mode, and today was Hinata's lucky day. She survived by getting the lesser of the two evils.

It was quiet again besides the sound of sneakers hitting the ground. Sakura only thought of hateful words in a cynical voice and kept glaring at the space in front of her. Hinata, growing more concern with each step, slowed down her jog and placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder.

"…Is it because of Ino liking Sasuke?"

Sakura was taken aback.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked as they both started walking. Hinata didn't say anything, but the answer was already known.

"God, I'm terrible, right? I should be happy for Ino, I should be supporting her…The three of us, we're supposed to be like _sisters_. But I just can't help myself…," Sakura explained as her head drooped and fell into her hands. "I want Sasuke. _For myself_. Not for Ino. Not for anyone…I'm being a bad friend…"

Sakura sighed and looked at Hinata. If there was one thing the Hyuuga was good at, it's being sympathetic. Looking at her made Sakura feel like she was looking right into a mirror. Just from hearing Sakura's side of the story, the girl's face expressed every kind of sadness Sakura has been feeling for the last few days. It was a quality that was close to amazing.

"No, you're not," Hinata said with complete confidence. "It's…_okay_ to want something. And, it's okay to disagree with Ino …someone has to." They both laughed. "And I…don't really _know_ Sasuke, but… you never know. Maybe he likes you better than Ino…"

Sakura huffed out a cynical laugh.

"I don't even know if he likes me _in general_, let alone more than Ino…" Sakura looked at the sky as thoughts entered her head. "He's mean….and then he's nice…I don't know, it's just really confusing." Sakura showed a sheepish smile, but Hinata knew exactly what she meant.

"Yeah...Boys are _really_ confusing."

.

"_I want Sasuke. _For myself. _Not for Ino. Not for anyone…"_

The dark-haired vampire had an arrogant smile on his face. He was tuning into their conversation and he was liking what he was hearing. He had to admit, the feelings were mutual.

For a completely different reason.

The sudden buzz in his pocket pulled him away from the conversation. He pulled out his phone and saw a little digital envelope dance across his screen: 1 New message. He hit another button and saw the name of the sender: Ino Yamanaka.

_You again?_

Not bothering to read the message, he deleted it without a second thought. Naruto was catching up from behind and began walking next to him.

"C'mon, you emo bastard, it's gonna be fun!"

"How many times do I have to tell you? _I'm not going."_

* * *

><p>It was late in the evening when a coffee-colored feline perched on top of the dresser to watch his master stand in front of a mirror. The man was wearing a ridiculous-looking cape and an over-the-top designer suit. In his over-1000 years of life, Denka has never been more confused.<p>

"What…is this for…?"

"A party," was all he said.

Okay, so maybe he is going…

Denka remembered how Naruto was dressed before he walked out the door over an hour ago. He was covered in toilet paper from head to toe and seemed completely okay with it.

_Humans and their crazy traditions…_

Sasuke adjusted the cuff of his shirt and folded it over the jacket's sleeve. He then buttoned his black silk vest and revealed his pointed fangs. He looked like he walked straight out of a movie screen. The pale skin, scheming eyes, and killer fangs. A vampire posing as a vampire. No one would ever guess.

"Hina said Sakura left with her friends a while ago. To the same party, I presume?"

"Aah, I'm seeing her there," he answered, slipping on dress shoes that were way too expensive to be used for a trashy Halloween party. But since he didn't have plans for a banquet or ball to go to anytime soon, he just grabbed his keys and walked out of his room.

"Are you running late? She might be worried," asked the animal, trotting beside his master.

"She can wait." Sasuke turned the knob of the front door and took a step outside. Before he can shut the door behind him, Denka asked:

"…What are you going to do?"

The vampire gave a sideways glance before answering. Denka sounded strangely concerned, probably after hearing all the nice things Hina had to say about the girl. Smart, model student. Hard-working and dedicated volunteer. The honest and trustworthy friend. Why would she deserve to get her young, innocent life taken away?

"Nothing out of the ordinary." Sasuke slammed the door.

_'Ordinary for a human or for a vampire…?_' Denka thought as he sat in the main foyer alone and watched the murderer walk away.

.

Knowing his destination was down the street, Sasuke decided to leave his treasured car in the garage. He walked down the cobblestone driveway and past the large fountain in the front yard. After passing the iron gates, with hands in his pockets, he started down the road.

What finally got him to go to the party was the fact that his little prey was _definitely_ going to be there.

_'People change their minds all the time…,'_ he told himself. It wasn't really like him to just go back on his word. Uchihas were proud people, not ones who made promises they couldn't keep. He promised himself he would not be caught dead at a grimy high school party, but as of 7PM last night, that all changed. He received full confirmation from Hina, who saw Sakura trying on different costumes from previous Halloweens. Seeing Sakura in some cutesy Halloween outfit? Worth it.

However, Naruto was going to be there along with the lunch gang, plus annoying bimbo and fidgety girl.

Teenagers + alcohol + drugs x deserted mansion.

It wasn't exactly his cup of tea, but if you add a little bit of blood to the mix, who was he to resist?

He spotted the house from a few houses down. It was certainly hard to miss. The entire lot looked to be glowing with different hues of neon color and the whole house was pulsing like a human heart. Loud music shook the old foundations and he wouldn't be surprised if the roof collapsed to the ground, killing everyone inside. He started to wonder if it would just be faster to get the job done himself…

He walked up to the front door – passed the drug circle, the stupid décor, and the unkempt lawn – over two hours late. No big deal. It's not like anyone was looking for him, right?

Sasuke immediately felt the wave a body heat swaying in the room. The entire living room dance floor was packed with monsters, superheroes, and random slutty farm animals. Near the other side of the room, he saw annoying blonde cowgirl dancing weirdly on a table. It was also apparent how trashed she was.

He was just glad she was chasing after the drinks instead of him.

The vampire spotted a hairy paw in the air, waving him to come over. He could tell it was Kiba, dressed in a werewolf costume. As Sasuke made his way over, Kiba downed another cup of piss water before going for another. The vampire mentally shook his head at the weak stuff being served; human drinks were literally piss water compared to vampire drinks. It would take an entire keg or more to get any vampire even close to tipsy. With a new cup in hand, Kiba gave a friendly slap on the back and yelled over the music.

"Hey, you made it!" Kiba took a sip from his plastic red cup. "Boobs to the left, Beer to the right. Blunts are right out front. Live a little!"

The dog boy staggered away and gave a high five to everyone he passed. Sasuke made a face as he took a good look around the room. Drunk girl dancing on a table. Drunk people making out in the corner. Drunk guy taking even more shots than his body could possibly handle. It would probably be easier to count how many people _weren't_ completely fucked over. So far, it was only one.

Hoping to find a number two, Sasuke followed the only scent that seemed to stand out. The familiar sweetness pierced through the smell of sweat, the booze, the body sprays, and even the throw up. Just by taking a whiff, he could feel the killer pangs creeping back again. It was only a matter of time before he reached striking pink hair…

He went upstairs which turned out to be completely empty. It was pitch black, besides the stray patterns of light that shone on the walls. He found her, back turned and walking out of the bathroom and into the hallway.

"That looks familiar," he commented on her outfit. The candy striper turned around at the sound of his voice and hiccuped. She squinted at him and studied his face before blurting out:

"YOU!" She hiccuped again and took another swig from her cup. Sakura whined about feeling sick before stumbling back and falling on her butt. She laughed like a psychopath before trying to get up by holding onto the wall. Her grip slipped and she fell. Again.

"Damn it, don't tell me you're wasted, too…," he murmured to himself. Sasuke grabbed her forearm and pulled her up with ease. She stumbled and leaned into his body to keep herself from falling. Before he could take in her scent even more, she pushed off of him and gave a very dirty glare.

"What?" he spat, already annoyed with her drunken mood swings.

"Whyrn't chu…wit_ Ami_?" Sakura said, slurring her words. She placed two balled up fists on her hips and pouted. "You…assholeee!"

_Ami? Who the hell is that?_ "I don't know what you're talking about." _And I can barely understand what you're saying…_

"LIAR!" She yelled suddenly, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I KNOW! I knoooow who you 're…I shaw you!"

"You know what I am_?_" Sasuke wasn't sure if he should take her seriously. She was babbling on some drunken tangent but even his vampire senses couldn't decipher the sounds coming out of her mouth. He took hold of her and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Answer me." He couldn't be too careful. Maybe she did know something…

"You…you…" Before she could get another word out, she fell into him for the second time. He shook her, but she doesn't move. Sakura's body was laying limp in his arms.

"Sakura… Sakura?" He sat her down and from the looks of it, she was completely knocked out.

Sasuke groaned out of annoyance more than anything when he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. He decided he needed a safe place to put her before she came to and panicked from her hammered escapades. It was almost impossible to concentrate with her scent filling his senses. At this point, he could've been just as intoxicated as she was.

The vampire walked down an empty hallway and went to the last door at the very end. He tried to turn the knob, only to find it locked. Without any patience left in his entire body, he kicked open the door and closed it behind him.

The room was surprisingly _clean_ for a house that has been abandoned for about 200 years. It was old-fashioned, with a large iron-framed bed and matching Victorian furniture. Sasuke laid the unconscious girl on top of a crème-colored quilt that covered the mattress. She stirred slightly before going completely still. He stood and watched as her chest rose and sunk with every breath.

And for the first time, they were alone.

There was still the raging party going on downstairs, but everyone was piss drunk or stoned or maybe even both. No one would notice them missing. And once the party was over, the old mansion would be back to being abandoned. And, this room was meant to be locked in the first place; no one would even guess anyone would be in here…

But there was something about her that made him feel incredibly impulsive. He never killed on impulse. He was always careful. Prepared with a sword and a plan. Precision was key.

But not tonight.

All the little details that needed to be looked over were carelessly disregarded. Everything that would go wrong probably will.

But he didn't care.

He couldn't stand it anymore. The temptation that has been two feet away from him all this time, he could no longer ignore it. It has been building up for far too long. The urge to kill….

Right here, right now.

It ends.

.

"CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG!"

The crowd chanted as the mummified Naruto guzzled down what was left of the keg while being suspended by his ankles over it. He descended, stood properly and threw his hands up in triumph as everyone cheered and patted him on the back. A classic keg stand victory. Kiba grumbled as he slaps a bill into Naruto's bandaged hand. Shino and Choji, a couple of Naruto's classmates, handed over their payment as well. Miraculously, Naruto felt completely sober. He was just high off of winning.

Hinata smiled at him and he grinned back at her. He stuffed his new cash into his pocket before taking the lovely dancer back onto the dance floor. They merged into a sea of moving bodies, swaying with the sound. The only things they could see were the flashing lights and each other.

"I-I can't believe you finished that entire thing!" she yelled as the thumping music surrounded them.

"Are you impressed? Hahaha!" Naruto swayed and stepped out of beat. "I can handle even more if I wanted to!"

"Wh-what? That's crazy!"

"Hahaha!" Naruto laughed and was having such a great time with her. Even though they were never really close, she has also been so_…nice_. He always knew Hinata Hyuuga as that one quiet girl, but she was actually kind of pleasant to talk to…

Before he could offer to get her a drink, he felt a sudden feeling of dread enter his body.

"Do you feel that…?" he asked suddenly. His sky blue eyes shifted from one side of the room to the other. The ballerina countered with a nervous look.

"What's wrong?"

His sensitive nostrils picked up an unmistakable smell: _Blood._

_'Huh…?_' Naruto thought as he eyed the stairs leading to the second floor. He could already feel his body reacting to the delightful aroma. He started to wonder if Hinata could smell it, too… _'Why would there be… No. Way.'_

A sudden realization shook him to the core.

_Sasuke?_

If Sasuke actually did come, would he be the one behind this?

Naruto quickly shot a look at Hinata, who was still wearing a concerned expression. Naruto smiled reassuringly and tried to think of an excuse to leave. He wracked his brain for something clever, but nothing seems to come through.

"Uh, hey, I have to uh- go to the bathroom! Yeah, I had a lotta beer!" he blurted out, as he turns towards the stairwell. "Don't wait up!"

"Um, Nar-Naruto! Wait! There's a bathroom by the kitchen…you don't need to go all the way upstai-"

"Oh, right! Hahaha. I _knew_ that!…but I think I…uh…" _C'mon brain, don't fail me now!_ "…left my phone up there! Yeah, and I need to go get it!"

His hand left hers as he began to walk away. But the disappointment on her face was just breaking his unbeating heart.

Hinata noticed Naruto was acting weird, but she knew that someone like Naruto wouldn't want to hang around someone like her all night, especially when there were about a hundred more people willing to get drunk and party than she was. She didn't want to drink, she barely wanted to dance. It was just too good to be true… But before all hope was lost, Hinata felt a strong grip on her wrist and looked up to see Naruto's face. This time, he was the one giving her a concerned look.

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to ditch you, or anything! I'll be back, I swear." He beamed widely and gave her a big thumbs up. She couldn't help but trust him.

"Okay."

* * *

><p>How long has he waited for this? How long has he suffered?<p>

The endless inferno burning in his throat. The insatiable appetite that craved a delicacy more delicious than fear. The temptation from seeing her everywhere.

The suffering, every day for the past sixteen years.

It was all about to end.

Sasuke leaned over her sleeping form and brushed a piece of her strawberry hair out of her face. Her body remained completely motionless. The moonlight shining in through the window gave her a faint glow that highlighted her attractive features. And a part of his mind told him it wasn't just her scent that was appealing…

Everything about Sakura Haruno pulled him in.

His cold fingers traced the shape of her jaw and felt the warmth lying under her skin. It made his mouth water ever so slightly. When he touched her neck, he could feel the slow, rhythmic pulse of her heart.

Then came a sickening smile.

The vampire bent over and brought his face closer to hers. The smell was truly intoxicating. Her blood called to him, mocked him, _tempted_ him. The insanity he was keeping hidden for so long was slowly creeping to the surface. The excitement of finally seeing her upcoming death caused him to let out a twisted, demonic laugh.

_No one torments Sasuke Uchiha and gets away with it._

His lips gently brushed against the skin of her forehead and he could already feel his whole body igniting. He sat at the edge of the bed and slid his arm behind the girl's back to prop her upwards. Sasuke tilted his head back as he let his fangs grow without restraint. His free hand caressed her cheek as he looked at her with hungry eyes.

"I'm going to kill you, Sakura…," he whispered darkly as he eyed her pink lips. He smirked at the silence in return. His nail made a deep gash on her lip and he watched as the blood rush to the surface. It pooled around the wound before slowly dripping down her chin.

It was beautiful.

He leaned in and licked the bleeding trail before going for her lips. He kissed her roughly, feeling the heat of her body and tasting the blood even more. He pulled away and let the satisfying rush engulf him. He sighed blissfully. Sasuke, ever since his birth as a vampire, has never felt more alive.

He wanted more.

Without hesitation, his sharp fangs went for the creamy, delicate skin at the side of her neck. Her skin was punctured easily under the force. As he felt the warm liquid seep down his throat, he groaned in mind-shattering pleasure. Every kill and ounce of blood in the past did not even compare. Every gulp of blood was throwing him closer to the edge.

The more blood he drank, the thirstier he got.

He was losing it.

_More._

_More._

_MORE._

The greed was pulling him deeper into the darkness. He wasn't going to stop until every drop of her precious blood was gone. Not until her pure heart stopped beating. Not until she breathed her last breath.

Not until she died, here in his arms.

* * *

><p>The Temptation.<p>

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**Please Review.**


	9. The Chaos

No one has ever seen a mummy move so quick… or at all for that matter. But right now Naruto needed to jump out of character. He needed to find Sasuke, and fast.

_God knows what that psychopath's doing!_

Ever since he came back to Konoha, Naruto noticed Sasuke hasn't been particularly…_well_. He would kill way too often and not in very pleasant ways either. Naruto was aware of what the guy had some issues, but damn, he didn't know that Sasuke lost his marbles somewhere along the way. Yeah, sometimes Naruto gets bored, too, but you don't see him tearing off limps and laughing at people's pain and anguish in his free time. It was certainly bizarre. Even for a vampire.

Naruto quickly wiggled through the dance floor, gliding past break dancers and grinders, and raced toward the stairwell. He took a hefty whiff of the air and could already feel his fangs lengthening in a physiological response. The pungent smell was growing heavier and heavier as he ascended.

By the time he reached the second floor, the whole hall was swallowed up in the stench of blood. Even a human would be able to tell, if he or she wasn't smashed a combination of drugs and alcohol, that is.

Naruto made cautious steps toward the door. He knew what would be behind it…he now hoped Sasuke wasn't going to be there as well. With a quick turn of the knob, the door flew open and Naruto grimaced as he looked inside.

The entire room was splashed with red. The floor, the ceiling, the windows. It was a gruesome sight, whether you were a bloodsucker or not. But it wasn't the sea of blood that caught his attention.

It was the slashed up body lying in the middle of the room. Completely mutilated. And belonged to a girl who looked all too familiar.

"…Holy shit."

* * *

><p>[9] The Chaos<p>

* * *

><p>The final drop of blood.<p>

Nothing in the whole world could have tasted better.

Sasuke pulled away to relish the moment. Not one drop was wasted and every ounce was enjoyed. Even her heartbeat that once filled the room ceased to exist. A murderous hand covered his face as his mouth slowly twisted into a maniacal grin. His mind was clouded with blissful chaos; he wasn't in his right state of mind. The only way he could react to it was with a demented chuckle that echoed into the teeming darkness surrounding them.

The hunt was finally over.

It was almost exhilarating how freeing this was…

To finally have Sakura Haruno dead.

To finally feel _satisfied._

He released a heavenly sigh from his bloodstained lips. It was like being able to breathe again after being stuck under dark, murky waters for far too long…

And damn, it felt so good – it was maddening.

The peachy tint to her complexion was completely sucked away. She resembled a doll, lying in his arms so quiet and still, skin as white as snow and lips so inviting. Sasuke watched her unmoving figure and his eyes strangely softened. To him, she never looked so beautiful and delicate. Like a _real_ porcelain doll.

Even in death, she looked so…_appetizing._

They were facing each other when Sasuke lifted up her chin to get a good look at her face. Dark, sinister eyes looked straight at her parted lips. They were fading into a violet-pink, but they looked plump and vivacious as always... Ignoring the nagging urge to feel her lips for himself, he examined the wound on her neck. A precious mark that would always brand her as his. An egotistical smirk graced his features before a sudden glint caught his eye. He then pulled the collar of her dress to see a silver chain running down her neckline and he touched a small, floral pendant.

He remembered seeing it before; she would wear it a lot actually, if not every day. He decided it would be a nice souvenir to remember her by. Sasuke yanked the chain and lifted it up to see the tiny cherry blossom twinkling in the moonlight…

How fitting.

But playtime was cut short. He heard footsteps coming this way. He glared at the locked door and waited for someone to try entering, someone who was interrupting their sacred time together.

But he heard a recognizable voice. He quickly put on a stone-cold front and reached for the doorknob.

.

"What are you doing here?"

Naruto spun around and spotted the very person he was looking for, coming out of one of the countless rooms further down the hallway. A skeptical expression appeared on his face as he watched the dressed up vampire close the door behind him.

"Did you do this?" asked Naruto, pointing wildly at the room on his right.

Sasuke maintained a flawless façade when he walked over and glanced inside. Even he was caught off guard, but he didn't let his actions show it. He casually entered while avoiding the splatter near the front of the room. The blood covered and soaked boxes and the old, arranged furniture. It seeped into the floorboards that creaked as the two walked towards the center. Sasuke examined the disfigured body, crippled on the floor. It was definitely female, but not someone he recognized…

"Heyyyy, I think I know who this is..." Naruto rubbed his chin as he tried to match her bruised face with a name. "Uh…Ari…? Or something…She's suppose to be the girl hosting this shindig."

_"Whyrn't chu…wit Ami?"_

"You mean 'Ami'?" _So this is the girl Sakura was talking about…_

"Ami…Ami…! Oh yeah, that was it! Hey, how'd you know that, anyway?"

"Lucky guess…," Sasuke responded as he squatted to get a closer look at the damage. The cuts along her body never failed to miss a major artery or vein. Every incision was neatly executed in a way that would maximize the bloodshed. After taking a look around, he could see practically every square inch was touched with death. Impressive.

Whoever did this was skilled, no doubt. But why go through all the trouble… If this person really wanted to kill Ami, why make such a big show of it?

Entrails hanging spotlessly from the ceiling, pieces of flesh sprinkled around the room. It was like a white Christmas in July. Totally unexpected, but still appreciated. He couldn't help but enjoy it.

"Weren't you in the next room? How the hell did you not notice a bloodbath was going on?" asked Naruto, wandering around the crime scene.

Sasuke looked up from admiring the killer's handiwork and began to wonder the same thing. He figured was too immersed in a little project of his own. After a few minutes of locking himself in that room, his senses were completely disoriented from the sight, smell, and sheer proximity of Sakura Haruno, his special little prey. As soon as he distanced himself, it was easier to pull himself together. But he couldn't let Naruto know about his hidden obsession, especially with her bloodless body lying in the room next door.

"…I was sleeping."

"Again!" Naruto slapped his forehead. "Who the hell goes to parties to _fall asleep_? That's just dumb!"

"…" Sasuke had so many things to say in return, but decided against it. He had his own crime scene he needed to attend to and useless arguing wasn't going to get them anywhere.

"Do you think it was another vamp?"

Sasuke considered Naruto's proposal. But the blood, the body, the method of killing… "Then why would he leave so much evidence behind…?"

Naruto shrugged. "Iunno, maybe he wanted to get caught?"

_Why would a vampire _want _to be exposed? Unless…_

"He didn't want to be caught by a lifer…," Sasuke stated as he pulled the pieces together. He picked up a plastic cup that littered the floor. By this time of night, no living person would even be sober enough to climb the stairs, let alone find this place.

_He wanted one of us to find him._

Sasuke whipped his head around to take in every detail of the room. There must be some kind of clue somewhere, anywhere around here…

"Waittt…you lost me. What're you saying then?"

At that moment, Sasuke spotted a red and white phone still hidden in the corpse's grip. He carefully pulled it from between her bruised fingertips and examined the last screen she was on before she was torn to shreds. An unsent text message:

**Let's play a game.**

_A game?_ He scoffed at the challenge. Any game that involved death just sounded pleasantly appealing, and it would be undoubtedly rude to just ignore such a straightforward request. He looked at the screen once more before sliding the cell phone into his pocket without Naruto seeing.

A maimed party host staining the floor.

A bloodless nurse lying in the next room door.

A killer vampire on the loose looking for _another_ killer vampire on the loose.

Sasuke smirked as he slowly rose from his squatting position. He could already feel his vampiric blood rushing with excitement.

_Challenge accepted._

.

Sasuke pushed past the blonde and walked out into the hallway. He decided on his own that this was a two-player game. No annoyances allowed.

"Oi! What the hell are we supposed to do about THIS!" Naruto yelled, pointing at the storage room.

"Nothing," Sasuke replied curtly as he proceeded to look over the dancing crowd below. "No one will find out about it. As soon as the party's over, this place will be empty for another hundred years or so."

"I like a clean getaway as much as the next guy, but don't they throw parties here like _every year_?"

"Not for long." Sasuke placed his finger on the green dialing button on the phone and waited for the ring tone.

"Hey…what are you-"

Naruto noticed at the corner of his eye the red and blue lights making patterns against the cracked windows. The accompanying sirens were blaring so loudly, even the music paled in comparison. Within seconds, men dressed in uniform entered the party with disapproving looks on their faces.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. _Something tells me they're not here to party…_

"Hmm… that was fast," Sasuke remarked, silently placing the dead girl's phone back into his pocket.

"YOU CALLED THEM HERE!" yelled Naruto. He watched over the railing as soon as one of the cops pulled out a megaphone. The music was immediately cut off. A static-y voice called for everyone's attention:

"The party is OVER, anyone caught with alcohol or other illegal substances will be PERSECUTED accordingly under the law."

The whole room went silent.

"EVERYONE, RUN FOR IT!"

A drunken mob scattered in all directions, followed by blend of screams and yells. The horde of party goers swarmed around the front door, only to be blocked off by the barricade of officers. The back entrance was being blocked off as more people attempted to escape. As chaos ensued on the floor below them, Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the collar of his shirt and looked into his eyes with bewilderment.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He tried to find any glint of concern, but the Uchiha's eyes were completely blank. Dark orbs glared back with a much higher intensity.

"It's the fastest way to get rid of everyone." _That includes you…_

The mummy uncharacteristically bared his teeth in protest, but then heard a voice coming from the ruckus down below. He leaned over the railing to see Hinata, unable to make sense of all the confusion.

"Ah! HINATA!" Naruto swiftly ran to catch up to her. He shoved through the pandemonium until he heard her voice again in midst of it all.

"Na-Naruto!" she called out, spinning around in circles and bumping into the people running around her. A forceful push sent her flying towards to floor, but a strong hand grabbed her wrist just in time to pull her to her feet. She stumbled for a few steps before looking up to see her hero fully wrapped in two-ply.

"See? I told ya I'd come back for you!"

She smiled gratefully and feels her heart flutter in her chest, but she stopped. "W-wait…I can't leave without Sakura and Ino!"

"CRAP, really?" Naruto scanned the crowd and spotted a flamboyant cowgirl's hat near the front door.

"C'mon, I see Ino!"

.

Sasuke watched the stampede of zoo animals trampling over each other and trying to find refuge from a future behind bars. Then, he stepped into the shadows when he saw a heavy man in blue trudge up the stairs. He rolled his eyes at the idiotic human who definitely needed more exercise than just step aerobics. Before the officer said any word, he was hypnotized by the crimson illusion emanating from the vampire's eyes.

"No one's up here. Report it. Now," Sasuke said sternly with the Sharingan activated.

After taking a quick second to process the instructions, the officer grabbed hold of his radio and pushed a button to signal the others.

"Second floor's all clear," he reported as he plopped down each step. "We got ourselves a one-floor party. The back entrances are being covered as we speak…"

As the fat man left, Sasuke stayed hidden to evade any more potential witnesses. He advanced, passing by Ami's final resting place, towards the final door. His porcelain doll lay unspoken and unmoved since he left. The smell of her blood completely left this earth, but her body was almost as alluring.

_Almost_.

He eyed her nicely shape, clad in lascivious attire. With his free hand, he stroked the ice cold skin of her cheek and the soft strands of her hair. It turns out he had a bad habit of playing with his food.

The vampire gazed at her whitened face one last time.

"Now…what should I do with you…"

* * *

><p>The slamming door echoed throughout the foyer as Naruto entered the mansion. He stomped his way to his "best buddy's" room all the way on the top floor. It was dark except for the flickering colors from the plasma screen suspended from the ceiling. The raven haired male was taking it easy on his king-sized bed, but Naruto was willing to change that.<p>

"What's the big idea? Crap loads of people are gonna get in trouble for that, ASS-SUKE," stated the wrapless mummy who threw himself onto the nearby lounger. He still had pieces of toilet paper trapped in his hair, but that was the least of his concerns.

"One, 'ass-suke' makes no sense," Sasuke countered, flipping through the channels on the TV. "And two, that's not my problem."

"_Not your problem? _People were throwing chairs at windows to get outta there! Some dude was so drunk, he couldn't even move out of the way! AND…I almost got ARRESTED."

"But you didn't," he retorted quite simply. Sasuke sat at the edge of the bed and asked with false concern, "How's your girlfriend?"

"G-GIRLFRIEND? What girlfriend? What're you gettin' at?" Naruto asked, completely mystified.

"The Hyuuga girl."

Naruto did a spit-take with an invisible beverage. "WHAAAT? No, no, no. It's _not_ like that, at all! Her dad would KILL ME." The instigator shrugged because he was just mocking the poor guy out of pure entertainment. There was nothing good on TV at 4 in the morning.

"I was just out for a while 'cause we needed to find Sakura. We couldn't find her _anywhere_, so we hadda leave without her." It was Naruto's turn to shrug. He just thought she left the party earlier than they did. "Good thing she did, too, she missed the cops."

"Good thing…," Sasuke said, with thoughts of her in mind. Naruto jumped up and stretched before throwing punches into the air.

"Oi, I'm gonna play that new fighter game I got, you wanna try it out?" He started jogging in place and then threw another left hook. The virtual fighter could already envision the world champion's belt in his hands.

"No. Get out, I want to go to sleep," grumbled the vampire in PJs, who was pulling the fluffy blanket over his body. In a few more hours, the sun would rise again making him even more annoyed than before.

"Yeah, yeah, we both know you'd lose any way!"

"Tch."

Sasuke listened in silence as the footsteps slowly faded away. He then threw the comforter off of him, and glanced at his unique party favors. The red and white phone with a cryptic message. The pink and green flower that symbolized a life. Ever since her passing, there were no signs of the uncontrollable urges, the unwanted fatigue, and the raging temptation that drove him to insanity.

He was finally free.

The vampire sat up and leaned against the backboard. The pendant dangled from the silver chain as he watched it sway back and forth…

The party was worth it.

* * *

><p>Hinata sat in the backseat as her driver took her deep into the city. Ino was next to her, leaning against her shoulder and mumbling random sounds in her drunken stupor. The ballerina nervously played with her phone as she watched the minutes go by. It's been 10 minutes since she tried to contact Sakura, and still, no answer.<p>

"Ko, turn here please," she directed. The driver nodded and followed obediently. The car changed direction and they continued down an empty business street. Ino's flower shop was right ahead. At the curb, the vehicle slowed to a stop and the aide stepped out of the car.

"Do you need some help, Miss?" asked Ko, holding the door open for the young women.

"N-No…," Hinata winced as she pulled the cowgirl into a standing position. "I think I g-got it." She was lacking in upper body strength and the alcohol was not making it much better. Ino groaned for she wanted to just lie down and sleep in the car. She leaned her whole body weight onto Hinata as they made an attempt to walk.

Hinata led her down the side of the building and towards the shop's backdoor. She grabbed the hidden key under the mat and trudged onward. They ended up in the staff-only back room that had the stairs leading to the apartment. The dark-haired girl struggled even further as she ascended every step. Ino's coordination was visiting another planet as she simply dragged herself along and the ballerina currently hated Ino for not sticking to her diet.

"Al-almost there…," she whispered. When they reached the top of the steps, she breathed deeply. The intruder snuck Ino inside and threw the blanket over her as the Yamanakas snored in the next room. She tip-toed out of the flat and locked the door behind her. Quiet as a mouse.

The girl hustled to the car that was parked down the street. The engine was still running and puffing out mist into the cold night. As she slid into the back seat, featureless white eyes reflected in the back mirror. She checked her cell phone again for any missed messages or calls.

Nothing.

She was starting to get worried.

Hinata flipped through her electronic address book and selected Sakura's number. The ringing on the other end went on and on until a dull robotic drone spoke about a voice mailbox. She hung up, not wanting to just leave another useless message, and tried her number again. Her foot tapped impatiently on the car floor with every unanswered ring.

"Is everything alright?" The driver asked when he started up the car. They took off down the street, passed brick buildings, parked cars, and city signs. The shadows of trees zoomed by as the sky slowly shifted into its morning glory. She wondered if Sakura could see the sky from where she was standing.

"I hope so…"

* * *

><p>"What? Were you having a nightmare about me kickin' your ass?" Naruto cursed when his character was sent flying across the screen. His fingers smashed against the buttons faster than the console could even keep up with.<p>

"_Che_, in your dreams, loser." Fantastic bubble letters popped up on the big screen and the victorious words appeared on Sasuke's side: Winner, Winner! Sasuke placed the controller down on the table and walked away before Naruto could scream in his face. The failure threw the controller across the room and suspected foul play.

"REMATCH! You cheating bastard!"

"You wish, Naruto. You just suck. Horribly," replied the champion fighter, taking a blood bag from the fridge. He strolled back to the living room and kicked his feet up. The cap popped off and Sasuke took a victory sip.

"Oh man, can I have one of those?" Naruto asked, eyeing the bag of O-positive.

"Last one." Sasuke took another sip. "Loser."

"ARGHH!"

As Naruto roared at the top of his lungs, Sasuke remained unaware of the missed calls. The device sitting in his room was buzzing constantly as the screen lit up. It vibrated towards the edge of the side table, before falling onto the floor and shattering into pieces. The battery popped out of the back, rendering the device useless.

.

Hinata sat in her room and watched the sun rise over the vibrant trees. The orange glow started to stretch across the horizon and birds were starting to chirp to welcome the morning. No matter what, she couldn't enjoy the view.

Not when Sakura was missing.

She had her ear against the phone again, trying one last time to call before getting some sleep. She wondered how she could even get any amount of shut eye when this feeling loitered in the pit of her stomach. Just when she finally thought she got through, the ringing stopped – without the voice mail answering. She sighed and just placed her phone next to her bed. There was nothing left to do but wait. Maybe Sakura was passed out from partying. Maybe she didn't want to talk about her beef with Ino. Maybe her phone was just on silent the whole time.

Maybe she was home, safe and sound. With a pair of comfy PJs and her nice fuzzy slippers. Studying for a test or researching the cure for cancer. Maybe she's just A-Okay.

_Maybe…maybe…_

Hinata placed her head down on the satin pillow and closed her eyes. In less than a second, her cell phone buzzed and rang. She rushed to pick it up and placed her ear to the phone.

"Hello?" she asked in desperation. _Sakura? Is that you? Are you okay? Where were you? Why didn't you call? _A million other questions formed at the tip of her tongue.

After recognizing the voice on the other end, Hinata suddenly found it hard to swallow.

"O-Oh! Ms. H-Haruno…"

_Oh no..._

* * *

><p>The Chaos.<p>

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**Please Review.**


	10. The Deja Vu

The glaring sun was passing through the openings between the heavy draperies. The slivers of the light shined into the study room and made patterns along the countless shelves of books. Little specks of dust were floating in the sun's brightest rays – rays that a vampire should be avidly avoiding.

A barely moving form was perched on a velvet throne, behind a sturdy, antique desk. He yawned with the coming of the sun; he could already feel himself growing faintly weary as the flaming fireball traveled across the sky. But it wasn't enough to make him pass out.

Compared to the chronic fatigue that used to plague his life, this was nothing.

He flipped through a textbook before standing up. After moving the curtains aside, the ceiling-high windows let in a generous amount of sunshine. His body naturally responded, but it wasn't enough to take him down.

The window opened and gusts of fresh, autumn air circled the room. He took in a deep breath and relaxed. It was sad how he would normally be sleeping at this time of day, but not anymore. No, not today.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. A precious part of the weekend. A special day, no doubt. He didn't want to waste Halloween in some musty old library.

Fuck no.

Sakura Haruno was dead and he couldn't be happier.

Nothing could ruin today. Not one fucking thing…

* * *

><p>[10] The Déjà Vu<p>

* * *

><p>Hina sat patiently on the kitchen counter as she witnessed daylight spread over the horizon. She waited at the front entrance, secretly hoping someone would come home. The feline was all alone with nothing to eat. Sakura was out partying for God knows how long. Shizuka was called to work without warning. How did they expect a simple vampire cat to go out and hunt when she's trapped indoors?<p>

Stacks of neatly piled cat food failed to satisfy Hina's appetite. She ignored the bowl of soggy, chicken-flavored mush and tried to pry open the window. With no such luck, she wondered why evolution had to be so cruel…

"Thumbs would be a great asset to animals everywhere…," she murmured as she tried for another window in the living room. When she stepped onto the windowsill, she spotted Sakura's mother approaching the door. Hina quickly scurried over.

The door squeaked open and the cat jolted outside. _Yes, finally!_

Mebuki jumped at the sudden movement, but soon recovered.

"Good morning, to you too…," She smiled at Hina who was trying to catch the pigeons flying around the yard. The sous-chef entered, slid off her shoes, and rubbed her sore feet. The late night business planning was really taking a toll on the dark bags under her eyes. She was just about ready to fall asleep on the cold kitchen floor. But before she could take a little catnap, she noticed the only pair of shoes at the door was her own.

"Sakura?" she called. No answer. She called out again, only to end with the same results. That was certainly strange. Her voice was Sakura's alarm clock. If the girl was sleeping, she'd at least groan or yell or… _something_.

The mother stepped into her daughter's room, only to find it completely untouched. School books and papers exactly where she left them. Sweaters and shoes lying around the room. No sign of Sakura anywhere.

That must be some party.

* * *

><p>Sasuke, clad in a light jacket and shoes, grabbed his keys and was ready to take on the day from a new and maybe even <em>happier<em> perspective. His foot couldn't even make it out the door before his housemate called out to him. He cringed at the nagging voice.

"Where ya goin'? Trick-o-treating?" came a muffled sound. Naruto resurfaced from the depths of the heavily polluted Ramen-bowl Ocean. Styrofoam containers were scattered along the coffee table along with plastic spoons, forks, and sporks. Naruto swam in the center of the garbage pile. Sasuke couldn't help but find this to be quite appropriate.

"Out," he replied, ready to leave the glutton out at sea. Sasuke didn't really have a schedule for his best day ever, but as far as he knew, it definitely didn't include Naruto.

"Take me with you! I wanna get some candy and ramen, anyway."

"…"

.

The humming of the engine died and the two stepped out of the Oto-Viper. Filth on his genuine leather seats. Grimy finger smudges all over the exterior. Sasuke was on edge after allowing Naruto within a 10 feet radius of his car, but the only supermarket open this early was in the south-city. But so be it, he already had a plan to get rid of him.

Electronic doors slid open and welcomed the costumers to a store that was practically deserted. Naruto was already running through the aisles, on a hunt of his own. Meanwhile, Sasuke lagged behind and noticed the empty shelves of Halloween candy. He half expected kids in costumes to run around with pumpkin baskets and fairy wands, but he was kind of glad they wouldn't be anywhere near the Dead End. Little kids would just ruin his mood.

He veered towards the produce section instead. He examined the pile of ripe tomatoes and picked one up in his hand. He instantly remembered how these succulent fruit were once a pathetic substitute for something much more amazing. It was also around this part of town that Sasuke would feel those random intense cravings.

Ah, those were the days…

As if.

Without much concern, he tossed the bruising tomato back into the pile and scanned the area around him. No sight of Naruto, and he wasn't willing to wait for him either. Operation: Ditch the Dumbass is now a-go. There wasn't much to it. He just had to leave without Naruto noticing. Easy as pie, especially when the only supermarket that opened at 7AM carried over 100 brands of instant ramen. What a coincidence.

Sasuke walked out the same doors he used to come in. He went straight for his car, started up the engine, and backed out of the parking lot. Naruto would have a grand ol' time finding his way back home, carrying boxes and boxes of his latest obsession. He was lucky that lifer food didn't have much of an effect on the living dead, besides the sensation of taste. Otherwise, Naruto would be the fattest and unhealthiest vampire alive.

Even so, the only emotion Sasuke could feel was complete and utter apathy.

The Viper glided smoothly down the street while its driver expertly maneuvered through the morning rush hour. Even with his best efforts, he still couldn't avoid the crappy city drivers that nearly scratch his car. Choosing to not take any chances, he swerved down an empty street and moved away from the main roads. With his new found freedom, he instantly decided on where to go next.

* * *

><p>An adult novel hit the desk with a soft thud as Kakashi finally decided to take out his mighty red pen. Even though the weekend was considered "his" time, he figured it couldn't kill him to get a jump start on his work. He flipped through the recent ungraded homework and marked the pages with splotches of red. After a few checks and Xs, he found himself looking outside and daydreaming about a wonderful day for Trick-o-Treating. Behind his mask was a deep, saddening frown.<p>

Because today was Teacher Detention.

Once a month, all the teachers were called in on a Saturday – yes, a Saturday – for conferences regarding students, lesson plans, and other subjects that a qualified teacher should already know in the first place. In Kakashi's eyes, this was just a giant waste of time, but his contract "clearly stated" the required monthly meetings. Damn fine print.

When he got to the end of the pile, he noticed a beautiful failing grade that didn't belong there. It was a quiz, previously marked with a large zero at the top of the page. He instantly recognized it.

"Ahh, Ms. Haruno…," he said to himself, "Cheaters never prosper…" He looked over the page again and brought out her homework she did the other night. The handwriting was similar. The calculations were right. Everything was so perfect. Too perfect. _Impossible._ It boggled his mind, especially since he used to be known as the "copycat" back in his schooldays. He knew all the tricks and trades but he couldn't figure out her secret.

No matter. She can spend the rest of her high school life in detention for all he cared. He could always use the company, even on Saturdays. Misery just loved company.

.

Kakashi watched the clock tick slower and slower as the day went on. The math department's meeting was in less than an hour, but he desperately needed something to do. He already finished reading the latest Paradise novels twice and had his third coffee break. And it wasn't even noon. He turned on his laptop and started filling in grades into his computer. Once he finished the mindless calculations, he was surprised to see one student had a perfect grade. It wasn't Shikamaru Nara, the lazy genius. It wasn't Sakura Haruno, the hard-working brainiac. It was the transfer student.

Sasuke Uchiha.

100 on all his homework. 100 on every test, every quiz, every_thing_. In his 10 years of teaching, Kakashi Hatake has never come across a student with a "perfect" score. He issued the toughest questions to ensure his students were properly prepared for college exams. He assigned hours of homework to keep them on their toes. He always made failing an option; he only wanted to prepare them for the harsh realities of life.

_He must've cheated, too. There's no way…_ Kakashi reached for the Uchiha's file, looking through phone numbers and a contact sheet to notify his parents. Whether he cheated or not, it would be fitting to congratulate him on such an amazing feat. It's hard to cheat on just one test, but through every test, quiz, and homework? Now that takes real effort.

.

Kakashi stood in the main office after finding that the phone numbers he had on file weren't working. He was on the phone with the boy's old school. A pleasant voice answered the call.

"Good morning, this is Konohagakure High School, calling for transfer files on Sasuke Uchiha," voiced Kakashi, sounding professional yet robotic.

"Mmm, yes, one moment please…," answered the woman on the other end. After the click-clack of computer keys, she responded. "I'm sorry, but there's no record of a 'Sasuke Uchiha' attending here last year… I found records on a boy who went here 30 years ago? But I'm sure it's not the same one, haha!"

"Is that so…," Kakashi muttered.

"Maybe it's a relative? Who knows, haha!"

"Maybe... Thank you for your time."

"Alrightie, no problem. Bye bye."

Well, that was odd. For a second, Kakashi humored the idea that maybe Sasuke was a fully grown man posing as a high school student with sick, twisted fantasies about girls in plaid skirts. But he looked young enough, maybe even into his early twenties at most if he wanted to look the part. And there's no way he was a 30 year old man…

And then sudden red flag entered his mind. A very _dangerous_ red flag. But before he could make any outlandish accusations, he needed more proof. Kakashi pulled out another sheet in the student file that listed his other past schools. If they had records dating back 30, 40, maybe even 50 years ago, then he'd have to worry about something a lot worse than cheating...

But before Kakashi can dive deeper into his investigation, he felt a pat on his shoulder. He turned to see his old friend that landed him a job in vampire city in the first place, Asuma Sarutobi. The history teacher gave an optimistic thumbs up.

"The department meeting wasn't so bad," he reported, already grabbing at another cigarette. "I'm sure yours won't be so bad either."

"Eh, we'll see." Kakashi stacked the papers and placed them back into the folder. The clock signaled it was time to face the droning voice of the department head, going on and on about nothing. Watching paint dry would be more interesting. Watching grass grow would be more productive. But what bothered him the most was that he couldn't make the urgent calls while sitting in detention.

"So, me and a bunch of the guys are going out for lunch later. You're invited, if you can make it," Asuma offered. He took a quick look around the room before lighting up.

"I think I'll pass. Few things to take care of…" Kakashi defensively held the folder behind his back.

"Suit yourself, but you, my friend, need a vacation…" He took a drag and exhaled. "You know, there's no need to work yourself to death…"

"I'll take my chances."

* * *

><p>"7...8…9…" Sasuke had his eyes closed as he leaned against a giant tree in his backyard. His ears could pick up the laughter of the many girls running away and scattering all around the property. The smell of human blood was enticing.<p>

"10."

He opened his onyx eyes and took notice of the tall, beautiful women who had nothing better to do but run around and play with nature's sexiest gift to the world. If he wanted to, they could all be dead in less than a minute. But that's not how tag is played.

"Oooh, Sasuke! Over here!"

"No! Tag me, tag me!"

"Me first!"

They didn't seem to understand how tag was played either. He just shrugged. Whatever it took to have some fun, right? He sauntered towards the viridian-eyed girl standing closest to him. The young woman was so deeply manipulated, she couldn't even remember her own name or even how much trouble she was in. She waved frantically, trying her best to get his attention. The vampire roughly yanked her sand-colored hair and forced her to look up so he could see into her green eyes.

How he hated green eyes.

Sasuke reached for her dainty hand and pulled her wrist to his lips. He could feel the pulse: quickened, excited. In a flash, his fangs ripped away at her skin. She yelped, but it only makes him even hungrier. He inhaled the blood rushing through her veins as she moaned under her breath. In a minute, she dropped to the floor, limp and motionless. The vampire licked his lips and eyed the women around him.

"Who would like to go next?"

"Sasuke, pick me!"

"I want to goooo!"

"Hey, hey–"

"YOU BASTARD!"

Sasuke dropped a girl's hand and dodged an incoming punch aimed at his face. The brunette stepped out of the way and whimpered as she craved the vampire's touch. He then stood upright, composed, and brushed the dirt off his shoulder.

The newly arrived Naruto was fuming.

"Way to just leave me at some random grocery store, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! I wasn't even sure how to get back hooo – … oooh, _hello_ ladies," Naruto purred out of the blue. He slicked back his blonde hair and wiggled his eyebrows seductively. The ladies giggled in unison. He laughed along with them.

"I like 'em! Where'd you get 'em? At a supermodels' convention?"

"A photo shoot downtown," Sasuke said, lifting up the girl's dainty hand. "Useless stand-ins."

"Haha, who _cares_! They're hot," Naruto growled at a redhead smiling playfully. "They can use my _stand-in_, if you get what I mean! Hahaha! Man, I wonder if they taste as good as they look…"

"Take them," Sasuke replied, shoving the brunette towards Naruto. _I'm bored with them, anyway._

"Ya sure? Not one bite?"

Sasuke looked at his watch and noticed the sun setting in the distance. He waved his friend off as he disappeared in a flash. He stopped by the cellar at the end of the Uchiha compound and descended down the stairs. A steel door creaked open as he entered his previously used room where a pile of distorted bodies were scattered along. A stunning leg here, a luscious arm there – all belonging to attractive frontline models and not just useless stand-ins. His first round of tag was much more productive. And yet he was still…

Bored.

"Satisfied?" asked Denka, coming in. He sat in the shadows at a safe distance away.

"I have it under control."

"Do you? Because the girl's dead and yet you still continue these habits–"

"I said…," Sasuke growled, clenching his fists tightly.

The last thing he needed was a conscience.

"_I have it under control._"

.

Darkness fell all around him as the night set in. The morning-drowsiness completely vanished and Sasuke felt stronger, among other things...

He could feel the flickering sensation take over again. At first, he thought it was just another time to feed, but even as the heap of beautiful bodies accumulated, the ache remained. It started small. And it was growing little by little as the day went on. He really didn't know what to do if it got any worse. He grumbled a few curses before starting up his car.

In a few minutes of ignoring red lights and speeding through stop signs, Sasuke stood at the entrance of the Konohagakure Medical Center. He waltzed in, seeing the same young receptionist from the last time he visited. Sharingan activated, he manipulated his way to the blood bank. It was time to restock if worse came to worst. But before Sasuke could paint the town red, he felt a pat on his shoulder. His eyes narrowed instantly.

"Well, well, well," spoke a woman in a lab coat, tapping her heel against the floor. She had a pen behind her ear and a clipboard in her grip. It's been around a hundred years since he last saw her. She still looked exactly the same. He wasn't surprised. "Someone's back in town."

"Tsunade," he greeted rudely. The grip on his backpack tightened. He didn't have time to chat with an old lady vampire. He figured for some twisted reason, she decided to go into the medical field. Whether it was because she liked watching people die or because she loved taunting herself with blood, he had no idea. But either way, he never really found her profession to be quite _noble_ for someone like them. She was the complete opposite of a real vampire. Saving lives instead of taking them away. She was definitely in denial.

"That's _Doctor_ Tsuande to you, _kid_. Learn some manners," she shook her head. "Anyway, what brings you here?"

_Breaking in, stealing blood. You know, the usual._ "Visiting someone."

"Uh huh…and who might that be?" She made a disbelieving face. It wasn't like him to visit someone out of the kindness of his heart.

"Sakura…" he said, thinking on his feet. He pretended to look around the room for a girl he knew was no longer with them.

"Sakura? Sakura Haruno?" Tsunade smiled the second she thought of her. "She's a bright girl, definitely a future asset to the hospital. You know her?"

If she knew what really happened to her star pupil, she would be nowhere near smiling.

"Classmates."

"Haha! High school! That's funny, Uchiha, really," she laughed, but the look on her face went south the second the laughter stopped. Her expression darkened and her hazel eyes gave off a heated stare. "But she has enough to worry about. If you _hurt _her, you'll have to answer to me. Clear?"

"Not everyone can be a vegetarian, _Doctor_," Sasuke countered sarcastically. He condemned the pussy diet of vegetarian vampires. Why deny yourself the euphoric experience of drinking warm, human blood? Animal blood was such a dirty poor substitute. But then again, it was a lot better than tomatoes…

"As if I had a choice. A vegetarian diet is the only way someone like me could survive around here." She was surrounded by blood day by day. Dealing with the sick and injured. It would without a doubt be bad for her reputation if she suddenly pounced on every patient who needed a blood transfusion. The blonde woman sighed and straightened her appearance. "So, you hear me loud and clear? Be careful with the poor girl! She has her whole life ahead of her..."

_Not so sure about that._ "Hn."

"Right. You're not much of a chatter. I don't know what she could possibly see in you."

_Do you ever stop talki- What?_ "What?"

"It doesn't take much to see what's going on here." Tsunade smiled and crossed her arms over her inhumanly large chest. "She even told me she has boy troubles. The second you told me you knew her, it was obvious. It's not like she could help herself in the matter anyway. Ahh, teen love…well, in her case, it's still considered teen love…"

"…" He was at a loss for words. And thoughts.

"Oh, come on. She really is a good girl. Maybe if you just got to know her _safely_, you'd see what I mean."

"...I'm leaving." Sasuke turned his back to walk away.

"Rude! This generation is just so rude…But fine, you better _stay out of trouble,_" she warned again before being called away by female nurse. The chief of medicine shot the young man a piercing glare before the two women quickly power-walked out of sight.

Sasuke took this chance to raid what was left of the blood bank.

.

The vampire shoved the packets of blood into his knapsack. He moved swiftly out of there and began to walk casually in the hallways to avoid suspicion. Cravings were creeping up on him again, getting worse and worse. He assured himself that blood bags would be the best way to handle this. No more unnecessary bloodshed, worthless killings, and death threats from old ladies. Plus, he was running out of room to store dead bodies in his basement. He always had the option of chopping them up and throwing them into the ocean, but there was just too much garbage to take out. Nature could always just do its job and let them decompose in peace.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was reluctant to call this mission a job well done. He still had to make it downstairs, out the door, and into his car before he could finally release some of the tension.

But it was such a nice night. No Sakura. No annoyances. No worries.

He stood at the closed doors of an elevator, watching the numbers light up. Just when he was about to reach for one of the buttons, he felt his whole body shiver. The quiet urge spiked and the room immediately felt like hell on earth. His eyes widen as he felt every bit of his being ignite with that familiar burn. His own skin felt like a flaming tomb that was ready to encase him and eat him alive.

_I need her..._

His fist slammed against the elevator button and a door opened on contact. He stumbled inside the empty car and started scratching at his throat in desperation, drawing vampire plasma that seeped down his pallid skin. He ripped apart his backpack and grabbed at the blood bags that scattered on the floor. His fangs tore the plastic and he downed the red liquid as his existence depended on it.

Yet the ache remained.

_I need her. Her BLOOD._

There was no denying it. This excruciating pain that he loathed ever so much was back. Except this time, there was no cure. She was gone.

_Unless…_

The elevators jerked to a stop. He threw the plastics into his bag and held it closed. He tried to compose himself by lifting up his collar to hide the open wounds on his neck. Sasuke slowly walked out onto the main floor and noticed a head of pink standing at the receptions desk. He couldn't believe his eyes, but the smell of the sickening sweet flowers… the smell of _her._ Maybe he was the one in denial because she looked very much…

**Alive.**

Again.

_You have to be fucking kidding me…_

* * *

><p>The Déjà Vu<p>

.

.

**Please Review. **


	11. The Reawakening

"…Miss me?" spoke a sultry voice. The man stood, revealing his dashing suit and flowing cape. He offered her a glass of crimson liquid that swished as he walked. Then came the devilish half-smile that made her delicate human heart race.

"Welcome back."

The black room. With velvet curtains, a small table, countless candles. She remembered this place in a long lost dream she once had.

"Am I… dreaming again?" Sakura asked, taking the crystal into her hand. In the back of her mind, she knew she had no intentions of drinking its contents. She was about to place the drink on the table, recreating what she did the last time she paid a visit to this dark recess of her mind.

But the caped figure took a step closer without uttering a word. The girl took a step back in response, only to have him come even closer in return. Her eyes closed tightly and she held her breath. The only sensation was his fingers gently tracing the shape of her jaw. Green eyes flutter open as she felt a hand rest on her neck.

Sasuke was staring right at her, with the hungriest eyes she has ever seen.

"S-Sasuke?"

In a swift motion, he slapped the glass out of her hand and thred her up against the wall. She gasped at his incredible speed as he knocked the wind out of her. The man towered over her with a menacing aura.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Sakura managed to say despite her trembling. Frightened whimpers left her lips as his come dangerously close. In a moment of sheer bliss, they connect and the only thing she could think about was how perfectly his lips moved against hers. But it's too good to be true. She was trapped.

As she panted heavily, he whispered, _"I'm going to kill you, Sakura…"_

In an instant, his teeth expand into killer fangs. Before she could say a word, a searing pain exploded from her neck. The deadly sensation raced through every inch of her being and she could feel herself slowly drifting away…

The only sound was her mind-shattering screams.

* * *

><p>[11] The Reawakening<p>

* * *

><p>Sakura woke up screaming her lungs out.<p>

A sweaty palm slapped against her neck the instant her eyes open. Her vision was dazed and her mind was completely blank. It took her a good five minutes before she finally realized she wasn't in a nightmarish state anymore. The cold sweat melted away and she took a breather to collect herself. Pains from her neck lingered and she could only wonder why.

She woke up in some random guest room, she assumed, after she passed out. To take in her surroundings, she noticed how dark it was inside and out. The sheets she laid on were itchy and uncomfortable; the uniform she was still wearing wasn't helping the cause.

The weight of her body shifted against the bed and the old springs creaked underneath her. She hissed as the single movement caused her whole body to shake in agony. Every muscle, organ, and tissue ached and trembled the more she moved. The suffering was just too much to bear. She cautiously lowered her body into resting position before she could throw herself into a deeper form of misery. A distressed groan left her mouth.

The ringing in her ears. The endless throbbing. The absence of memory.

.

Being the stubborn and impatient girl that she is, Sakura forced herself out bed despite the killer hangover, muscle spasms, and severe lack of coordination.

"I'm not going to lie here all day…and fricking _rot_…no way in _hell_…," she grumbled. She somehow made it down the hallway by leaning heavily against the walls. It was just now that she noticed how terrible this place was. Without the flashing lights, the cracks in the walls and ceiling were evident. The smell of cheap beer and throw up were making her nose scrunch up in repulsion.

_'It smelled like something died in here,' _she thought, absolutely disgusted.

After powering through, every part of her body started feeling numb. Whether that was a good thing or not, she didn't know, but she was knew for sure that she was getting the hell out of there. If this is what normal hangovers felt like, she swore to herself she would never drink again as long as she lived.

Sakura finally reached the stair rails and hoisted herself up. She half expected teenagers crashing on the floor just as she was in a spare bedroom. She assumed a few hours have passed by since she's been completely knocked out, but she couldn't be the only one left, right? After catching her breath, she gasped at the disaster site below her. Furniture was turned over and the windows were shattered, spreading shards of glass all over the place. Broken beer bottles and plastic cups littered the dance floor to the point where there wasn't much of a floor left. Yellow police tape X-ed off the front entrance that no longer had a door. And there was no one in sight.

Now, she was really confused.

_How long was I out for?_

* * *

><p>The metronome ticked, ticked, ticked endlessly against the delightful hum of the violin. Clear eyes watched the music notes as gentle hands followed along. The skillful song went uninterrupted before sharp ears caught the knocking on the door. The young woman stopped the metronome and leaned the instrument against her stool before getting up and reaching for the knob.<p>

Hinata couldn't believe her eyes. The girl twitching before her looked like a post-apocalyptic mess. Her coral tresses were knotted and unkempt to the highest degree and her complexion was so chalky white, there was no way that it could be healthy.

"H-Hi," muttered a beaten-up Sakura, who had been MIA in the last 24 hours.

"Wh..What happened to you!"

.

"Ahh, a _real_ bed…," Sakura sighed happily as she lay sprawled out on a grand-sized mattress. Hinata was still in panic-mode as she paced back and forth in her bedroom.

"Um…we tried calling you."

"I have no idea where my phone went…"

"But why didn't you tell us you left?"

"I never really left…I guess?"

"Do you even know what time it is?"

"Okay, you're starting to sound like my mom." Sakura made a pained expression as she tried to sit up. Hinata rushed over to help and took a seat next to her. She noticed her friend's shallow breathing and her bloodshot eyes. It appeared as if the girl had a fight with death…where death won, for the most part.

"Speaking of your mom, she called me…," Hinata said. Her nervous tone was making Sakura just as uneasy. As if she didn't have enough to worry about. "She was… looking for you."

"And? What did you say?" the rosette asked apprehensively. God knows what her mother would've done if she found out Sakura was out drinking. Her shaky hand reached up to fidget with her cherry blossom necklace, only to feel nothing there. She tilted her head to get a look, but it only hurt ten times more than it actually helped. She was about to blurt out a string of curses to make up for the pain.

But Hinata interrupted. "I… I had to lie…"

Now would be a great time to make an over-the-top gesture to show how surprised she was, but Sakura could barely manage to turn her head to even look at her.

"_You_? Lying? No way! What did you tell her?" The life left in her was only apparent in her voice.

"Well… I had no choice! I had no idea where you were and…um, I just-t panicked!" Hinata fiddled with her thumbs. She looked away in shame as if she committed the most heinous crime. Truth is, it probably _was_ the worst sin she committed to date. "I told her I was having a sleepover, like a last minute one because we were too tired to go home... and stuff. And um…"

"She believed you?" Emerald eyes widened as she waited for a response.

"Uhm…yeah, I think she did," Hinata said, smiling.

Sakura went in for a hug, only to pull away and yelping, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, owww…"

"Oh! Sakura, I feel so bad… You look terrible," she spoke gently. "What _happened_ to you?"

"Uh, okay… Well, I woke up in like some random room and– "

"No, no, I mean last night."

"Hell if I know. It's all so blurry…," Sakura pondered as she tried to find a comfortable position. "It's like, I remember bits and pieces but…"

"You need to remember," Hinata suddenly spoke up. "Because… Well… You were gone the _whole_ day. And the cops came– "

"Wait, wait, wait. The COPS came? For real? What for?"

"Yes! Who knows what else could've happened… I don't know, maybe there was something in the drinks. You could've been drugged or… something worse…."

"_Drugged? _Or _WORSE?_"

.

Fully surrounded by pillows and sheets, Sakura cleared her throat to tell her story.

"Okay, I was really upset about something… so I went downstairs..."

'_You're a big girl, there's no need to cry about this!' Sakura said to herself as she stepped away from the upsetting view. Her heart was in pieces from the sight of Sasuke with another girl… Ami of all people! Ino, she could understand, but Ami? She thought he would at least have more class than that…_

'_There's tons of fish in the sea!'_

_But none that were nearly as good-looking as Sasuke fricking Uchiha. _

_She carefully wiped the tears forming at the corners of her eyes, trying not to smudge the makeup that Ino took forever to do. Speaking of Ino, what was she going to tell her?_

"What were you upset about, Sakura?"

"Uhm…Nothing important! Ha ha ha, mood swings, you know, Hahaha... Ahem, anyway, Ino kept texting me, so I decided to look for her. And trust me, from what I can remember, it wasn't easy…"

_Ino: __**did u find him yet? cant c him anywhere!**_

_Sakura texted a reply: __**no but ill keep looking! ill let u kno if i do**_

_She slid her phone into a breast pocket on her uniform and mentally prepared herself. What Ino didn't know wouldn't her hurt. Plus, she'd save her best friend a week of binge eating some chocolate ice cream and crying herself to sleep every night. Ino may not appreciate the little white lie now, but she could just thank her later. _

_There were at least a few hundred people here and she would have to venture into this boogie madness on her own. She took a breath and shuffled her way through the dancing crowd. Eventually, Sakura found the infamous alcohol table where the party really started. Kiba, acting like a party host, was shoving drinks down everyone's throats, literally and figuratively. The thought of taking maybe just one drink to calm her disastrous nerves crossed the pinkette's mind for a brief second. But then she tossed the idea aside. She told herself she wasn't like that. _

'_I'm going to be in control,' she thought proudly. 'No one is going to rule my life! Not alcohol, not drugs, not even Sasuke!' _

_Right! _

_Now, it's time to live up to her beliefs. She watched the future leaders of the world dance weirdly as the liquid crack ran through their systems. These teenagers were practically having sex on the dance floor and Sakura couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. She especially condemned the actions of this one girl who was dirty dancing on a table…oh wait, that was Ino. _

"Oh wait…No, actually, I found Ino easily. Or I guess you can say she's the one who found me."

_The cowgirl jumped off her platform and landed on her leather boots. Sakura was surprised just how agile she was but then noticed she wasn't drunk at all. Ino was just being Ino… _

"_Hey Pinkie!" she yelled over the music. She strutted over towards Sakura and poured herself a very, VERY heavy drink. "Fun party right?"_

"_Sure…" Sakura eyed the cup uneasily and wondered if she was seriously going to drink it. She did. "Oh, and I think you should just forget about Sasuke!" He's busy sucking Ami's neck off…. "He's, uh, maybe he's not even coming tonight!" _

_Ino shrugged and took a long sip of her deadly concoction. "I know right? Ugh, he could've AT LEAST called, instead of making a lady wait here like a dumb bitch… God, Boys SUCK!" She raised her plastic cup for a quick toast. Sakura quickly grabbed an empty one and toasted to the worse half of the human species. They laughed when Ino suggested they should dance._

"_I'll even bring you up on the table with me!"_

"_No thanks, I don't think I'm drunk enough for that." _

"_What're you waiting for? Get started, honey!" Ino was ready to pour some liquid courage into Sakura's cup. She was hesitant to reply._

"_Aye, Sakura!" said Kiba, holding a platter of mixed drinks. "Pick your poison!" _

_Ino nudged Sakura's side. "Go on!" _

"And you KNOW how much I hate peer pressure."

"But they still got you to take a drink…."

"Hey, if you can't beat 'em…"

_Join them. _

_Sakura got her hands on one of Kiba's special recipes that were guaranteed to help her "live a little". In a daily life of Sakura Haruno, there were a thousand and one things she needed to worry about. Sasuke was one of them and tonight, she didn't want to remember him. Not his face, not his name, nothing. Everything is good in moderation, and he was no exception._

_And while she was downing her second cup, Kiba was passing more out to everyone around them. Ino cheered as she grabbed a cup of her own and together, they started celebrating Halloween the way delinquent teenagers should. _

"And things went downhill from there…"

_Blasting music vibrating against eardrums. Glaring lights blinding everyone in sight. Psychedelic colors flashing on and off and on. Movement, dancing, spinning, grinding…_

_All jumbled up into a crazy night on all Hallow's Eve. _

"And I remember I needed to go to the bathroom, so I left…"

_The pulsing bodies she tried to push through. The immeasurable line for the downstairs bathroom. The never-ending battle to climb the stairs. The stumbling and cackling. _

"When I got upstairs, I had no idea which door led to the bathroom. I mean, we were in a _mansion._ There had to be at least one more bathroom, right? Maybe even more. But a part of me forgot this place was deserted…and none of the lights were working."

"Right…Ami said that all the party lights were battery operated and she somehow got the plumbing to work for like a day…?"

"And the DJ brought his own hi-tech, pre-charged stuff or whatever so there wasn't any wired electricity in the whole house. So there I was, looking for the bathroom…In the dark...sort of."

_Pulled out phone. Click a button, instant flashlight. First door on the left – a toilet, bathtub, sink, mirror. Bingo. _

_Clap hands like a five year old._

_Flushing. Laugh at the funny sound. Rushing water. Laugh at the funny sound. Slip on the wet floor. Lose phone in the darkness. Hears buzzing. Maybe text message, from Ino? Laugh at the funny sound. Looks for phone. Gets frustrated. Stops and whines about nothing. Looks for door. Succeeds. Leaves. _

"I _thiiiink_ I left my phone in the bathroom? I think…damn it, to be honest, I really don't remember…"

_Throws open door. Freedom. Stumbles and hiccups. Sees a familiar face… gets frustrated all over again._

"And then I run into Sasuke."

"_Sasuke_?"

"Yeah, weird right? I've been looking for him like all night and he just _suddenly_ finds me…looking terrible, I might add."

_Yells…about something. Accuses him…of something._

"Yeah, that's all I got. I really don't remember anything else…"

Hinata was staring into space with a distressed look on her face. She quickly snapped out of it when she noticed Sakura trying to wrack her brain for more details. But Hinata already heard all she needed to know.

"That's okay, maybe you should go to sleep and get some rest," she spoke softly. The poor girl had been in a miserable state for about a whole day now, whether she remembered most of it or not. "If you still don't feel well, we can go to the hospital… they should find a way to help."

Sakura opened wide and let out an unwinding yawn. "No, no… I'll be fine by then, trust me. This is just what a hangovers like…"

Hinata laughed, "Hangovers don't usually keep you knocked out for an entire day… even Ino called and woke up before you."

"Well, she's had practice with this kind of stuff."

.

To the purely human ear, the only sounds in the room were the soft breathing from Sakura and the ticks of the grandfather clock. But to a half-breed bloodsucker, the sound of a human heartbeat appealed to the senses.

Hinata sat at the edge of the bed, truly concerned about Sakura's health. The thuds of the only heartbeat in the room were absurdly fast. Sakura was shivering and having cold sweats in her sleep. Her skin was cold and clammy. She complained about aches all over… Was she sick? What could have happened?

Sakura changed her outfit from a crinkly candystriper uniform to one of Hinata's comfy sweaters and sweat pants before she clocked out. It was already well into the night, she was sleeping soundly, her recovery was going well. But there was this uncertainty bothering the dark-haired girl. The drinks weren't spiked; she only said that to get Sakura's mouth going. If they actually were, half of the room would've faced the same fate. But that wasn't the case.

Hinata stood, pondering the fate of her best friend, but whipped her head towards the door when she heard footsteps close by. A long-haired vampire entered after being acknowledged and his clear eyes gazed upon the pinkette, asleep under lavender covers. The reverberating heartbeats were even louder coming from the source.

"You can hear her from across the yard," commented Neji, with his scrutinizing eyes.

"Sakura's _suffering._ I don't know why, but she's really in danger, Neji." Hinata shot him a heart-wrenching look.

"She certainly needs medical attention. It's a marvel she can even survive with such an accelerated pulse." He came closer, tossed Sakura's hair aside and examined her neck for any distinct puncture wounds. Neji then checked the wrists for any other injuries or damage. The two main sites for typical vampire feeding were completely untouched from the looks of it. His investigation came up short, but he was still undeniably perplexed.

Physiological signs pointed to a vampire, but it was not a part of the modern vampire custom to leave prey alive. It was a different story back in the day when hunting was a way of existing, but now, it's a rule: kill them or turn them. And since it was highly disgraceful to waste such prestigious venom on the pathetic human race, the only option left for her was death. And yet…

"These are signs of an attack, yet she bears no markings…" Neji placed his hand on his chin. "Did she tell you anything?" His voice was more serious than ever.

"Um… She doesn't remember much of anything…," she mumbled, growing more intimidated by his tone. "But she did say she saw Sasuke before she passed out… maybe he_–_"

"Uchiha…," said the elder vampire. _He has been acting strange lately… _

He stepped out of the room only to return in a flash. "He leaves us no other choice…"

Neji pulled a sharp-edged knife from behind his back. Hinata's eyes widen as she saw his intentions.

"W-Wait! Neji, don't!"

* * *

><p>Sakura finally came to. Her vision was hazy, but she convinced herself it was more from her restless nap than anything. Tired green eyes spotted Hinata, sitting beside her. Judging from the way she was still slouched over, Sakura surmised she was leaning against Hinata this whole time.<p>

"Wha…Where are we…?" Sakura said through a yawn. She looked to her other side only to see a window and speeding buildings passing by them. The vehicle jumped as they drive over pot holes and cracks on the roads.

"We're going to the hospital, Sakura," spoke Hinata, sitting very still and only looking forward at the windshield. Ko was driving with his usual expert ability, with Neji sitting at the passenger seat.

"Huh? Why? I'll be fine. I'm not hurt or anything." The upcoming patient waved her hands, only to cringe and hiss under her breath. Her hands immediately rush to feel her horribly aching side, when she noticed bandages wrapping around her left hand.

"You're not _fine_, Sakura. You're in so much pain… it hurts just to watch…"

Sakura was willing to roll her eyes at the naggy voice Hinata was using, but she was right. Sakura knew she wasn't really napping, but more like flowing in and out of consciousness thanks to the intolerable pain. Speaking of pain…

"What happened to my arm?" She lifted the soaked bandages, Neji shifted in his seat, and Hinata cackled nervously.

"Haha, um… we need a better reason to get you into the hospital, right?"

.

The lobby was embellished with pictures of pumpkins and cartoon children trick-o-treating. Sakura noticed they put one of the model skeletons to good use by giving him a top hat and a mustache. If it wasn't for the decorations, she would have completely forgotten it was Halloween. By now, the Halloween party felt like a million years ago. As Hinata supported Sakura to keep her from falling, Neji went up to the receptions desk.

"Good evening, my friend here unfortunately cut her hand when she was attempting to slice onions. She bled out profusely and she is close to going unconscious."

"Oh dear, let me see what we can do," answered a relatively young woman. Neji turned to the other two and waved them over. As Sakura came closer, she heard Neji say the words: "A private room would be fine, thank you."

"A private room? Have you lost your mind! How am I going to pay– "

"We'll gladly pay for it," Hinata smiled kindly. "You don't have to worry, okay?"

The only way Sakura could've felt more humiliated is if Hinata just waved wads of money in her face. She was practically doing it metaphorically, whether it was her intention or not – most likely not since this is Hinata we were talking about – but she never did any grand gestures with her money. Ever. So it was natural that Sakura became a little apprehensive.

"…If you say so."

Sakura followed a nurse that she had seen a few times around the hospital. She led them down the farthest corridor on the first floor. All the rooms on this wing were usually empty and saved for the old rich stiffs with the broken backs and pockets full of money. The doors were spaced out, leaving every patient with a lot of room and even more privacy, which is exactly what the Hyuugas were going for.

"This is it," the woman motioned towards the very last door at the end of the hall. And judging from the eerie stillness, they were the only occupants in the whole wing. Sakura got the feeling that Neji personally chose this.

"We'll send a doctor to help you shortly. Feel better!" The woman handed forms for the patient to fill out and went back the way she came. Sakura walked into the hospital room which looked more like a 5-star penthouse suite.

"Oh my god." The space was well organized and beautifully decorated with sea-foam green walls that gave off a relaxing touch. A flat screen television was aimed towards the patient's bed that was topped with decorative pillows and coverings. Neji sat on the matching couch situated in front of the nicely paneled windows. It was completely dark outside, but Sakura could imagine the beautiful view it would show in the morning.

_'They probably added this wing when the hospital was rebuilt,_' Sakura thought as climbed on top of the heavenly bed. A stabbing feeling shot through her, but she managed to get up in one piece. Hinata handed her the clipboard with the attached papers and a pen. Sakura was just about to fill them out when she heard the knock on the door.

Everyone looked up to see the visitor.

* * *

><p>"Doctor."<p>

Tsunade lifted her head from her countless of papers to see Shizune, one of the more trustworthy people on staff. She nodded her head and the black-haired physician walked in.

"There has been another case regarding a patient with severe hypovolemia."

_Another attack?_ The chief of medicine placed her pen down on her desk and gave Shizune her undivided attention.

"You said if another one were to appear, we should let you know ASAP. So, I'm just letting you know…"

Ever since that one man was attacked a month ago, Tsunade has been cautious with severe blood loss cases. The situation looked like an animal attack, but she knew of even worse possibilities. Even if it wasn't habitual for vampires to leave their prey living and breathing, it happens. It was never often, but if the signs point to a feeding frenzy, then that was the diagnosis.

Tsunade clicked the top of her pen and pointed it towards a scrap piece of paper. "Patient's name?"

"Sakura... Haruno."

The page was left blank as Tsunade snapped the pen between her fingers.

_Uchiha..._

* * *

><p>The Reawakening<p>

.

.

**Please review.**


	12. The Memories

Ravenous eyes stalked his prey in eager anticipation. His line of sight was closing in on her, but she wasn't alone; the Hyuuga half-breed whose name's so unimportant that it kept escaping him and then Neji Hyuuga, the full-blooded vampire and supposed "friend." The three of them were talking to that receptionist when Sasuke mentally swore and dodged into a nearby restroom. The herd was coming this way. The last thing he needed was for the one of the Konoha's founding families to see him like this.

His back was against the door when the footsteps quieted as they turned the corner – but he could still smell her, hear her, taste her. And just like that, his power and patience were completely drained. Sasuke leaned against the sink counter and glared at his bloody reflection.

_I should've FUCKING sliced her in half when I had the FUCKING chance…_

He fought the urge to turn the mirror into a million pieces with a solid punch. Instead, he paced uncontrollably, like a starved lion in a cage. Balled fists were as his side as he thought of theories for such madness…

She wasn't a vampire. He knew he didn't _turn_ her; there was a delicate process to it and it was a process that was forbidden among the Konoha founders. Plus, if he hated her now, why would he possibly tolerate her for an eternity? The idea made him scoff and then return to his train of thought.

So, what was she? A zombie? Coming back to life and walking around in search for brains? Maybe – no. That would just be ridiculous; this wasn't some sci-fi movie flick at the local theatres. And even if it was, he wouldn't waste any moment in his existence to see it.

Or she could _still _be a human? He brooded over that notion but it was the only logical option left. But she can't just revive herself, she would've needed help, but from who?

_'That would explain why the Hyuugas are here…_ _The Hyuuga girl was friends with Sakura, she wouldn't just let her die,_' thought Sasuke as his pacing slowed. Naturally, she would save Sakura by giving her some life-plasma. And Neji, a member of the Hyuuga branch family, has a sworn duty to the half-breed to protect her or whatever the hell his binding contract told him to do.

Whatever the details were, all he knew was that Sakura was still human, somehow survived, and now she has two superhuman body guards protecting her. Seemed impossible.

_We'll see about that._

* * *

><p>[12] The Memories<p>

* * *

><p>Sakura tried to smile in a way that said: "Hey, I'm fine! Don't worry about me!" But even the muscles in her face were killing her. She settled for a somewhat depressing, but welcoming smile as the visitor entered the room.<p>

"Sakura? I didn't expect to see you here," said Shizune, slightly shocked at the girl's presence and complexion. "You're usually helping patients, not spending time being one of them, hahaha. Anywho, I'm going to be your doctor," she explained as she scribbles on a clipboard. Among the notes on her page, she underlined pallor with three, very solid lines.

"I'm starting on the papers," Sakura remarked and the woman nodded in return. As the patient busied herself with the mandatory contact information, Shizune started basic examinations. She pulled out a stethoscope and listened to the heart. She wrote another comment: heart palpitations.

"What'd she do to get in here?" asked the physician, directing the question towards Hinata and Neji.

"She…um… cut herself when she tried to cook… something."

"That's it? You have a cut and you get yourself a private room?" Shizune asked in disbelief. _With a heart this bad, she should be rushed to an emergency room, but Sakura remains responsive and aware of her surroundings…_

"She bled out all over the kitchen floor," answered Neji this time, with a heavy hint of seriousness in his voice. "Sakura almost collapsed from the blood loss."

Sakura started to feel uncomfortable with the giant fib they were telling. It was certainly better than walking in, saying they were involved in underage-drinking, and getting the police involved, but…

_Was all this really necessary?_ Sakura sighed as she overanalyzed everything, but Hinata gave her a reassuring smile. Sakura raised an eyebrow at all the trouble they were going through. _It was almost as if they were up to something…_

"Uh… I-I'll be right back." Shizune quickly strutted towards the door. All the signs were there: the pale iced skin, the lethargy, the rapid yet weak pulse. _ Tsunade needs to hear about this. _With her trusty clipboard in hand, she power-walked out of the room.

"Wait! The pape-…Okaaay then." Sakura chucked the papers onto the side table and lay back down on her bed. With the remote control in hand and pillows nicely fluffed, she clicked through the HD channels in search for something to pass the time. Bedridden and sore, she eagerly waited for the recovery process to begin.

.

Heavy heels clacked against the hard flooring as she walked with authority and anger. _If I get my hands on that boy, I swear to GOD…_

Tsunade trusted Shizune's judgment, especially when it came to Sakura. Normally, a blood volume determination test would be done, but after seeing the girl every week for hours on end, it would be hard to miss just how pale she became. _"…a ghostly white,"_ Shizune had explained back at the office, which led the chief to think of the only the worse possible situation. She skipped waiting for the elevator and dashed down the stairs with vampiric speed.

She couldn't just leave Sakura waiting with a slowly dying heart.

.

Sasuke jammed the bathroom door with a cleaning mop that was previously against the wall. He grabbed sheets of paper towels, dampened them, and started cleaning off the dried vampire blood clinging to his skin. In a few minutes, the self-inflicted gashes were mending swiftly.

He was just about ready to step outside, but the sound of high heels threw him off. Someone was moving towards Sakura's room, and he already had an idea who this person was. Everyone was just flocking to her rescue…

It was making him sick.

And being stuck in a hospital restroom wasn't helping. The acidic smell of cleaning product was messing with his senses and his hunger was already getting the best of him. His jaw clenched along with every other muscle in his body. Bitter thoughts entered his mind.

_I'm going to be in here forever._

* * *

><p>"S-Sakura!" Hinata rigorously shook Sakura's arm, causing the remote control to fall out of her limp hand. "Sakura, Sakura, wake up! …Neji, she's not moving!"<p>

Just when he stood, he felt a stronger force holding onto his shoulder. He looked to his side to see the chief of medicine, appearing out of thin air and gracing them with her presence.

"Syncope, the loss of consciousness from low blood flow to the brain," she recited as if reading straight from some medical text.

"Lady Tsunade," greeted the shy girl standing next to the patient bed.

"It's a pleasure to see you again," greeted Neji, returning to his spot on the couch. Considering vampires never really needed medical assistance, it's been a while since their last encounter.

"Likewise, although the circumstances could be better." The blonde woman took a look at Sakura and immediately listened to her pounding heart. No stethoscope needed. "She's been blacking out often, correct?"

"Y-Yes." Hinata stepped out of the way.

"Hmm. It seems she has _even less _than 1% of her blood volume pumping through her systems. How she's even alive is beyond me." Tsunade routinely checked the patient's neck and wrists.

"She's free of bite marks, I checked earlier," Neji called from the sidelines.

"That can't be right… what was your cover story?" questioned the doctor who was secretly insisting on a vampire attack.

"Kitchen accident, knife slices through her–"

"Ulnar artery…Clever. That would explain the massive hemorrhaging," Tsunade said as she unraveled the bandages surrounding the left arm. Once they were off, she made a face at the pathetic-looking cut.

"You're lucky Shizune didn't get a closer look at this." She lifted up the motionless hand to show the shallow, 2-inch cut remaining. "This _unquestionably_ wouldn't cause traumatic blood loss or even a visit to the hospital."

"Hold on," Neji spoke in a hurry, pushing off his seat. "I personally made the cut myself and bandaged it. The cut was running from her mid-forearm all the way to her palm..." He demonstrated by pointing at his own forearm and running his pale finger to the edge of his hand. "How can it possibly shrink to less than half its original size in just a few hours?"

"S-She's healing on her own?" asked Hinata in a surprised tone.

"At an alarmingly fast rate," Tsunade added with her hand against her chin. "Her body isn't even making scar tissue… If that is the case, that would explain why there are no physical signs of feeding."

"Because the wound would have been repaired flawlessly within a few hours," Neji deduced. The elder of the three nodded as she followed along with Neji's theory.

"But why is she like this? Sakura's not…_one of us…,_" Hinata said with hesitation.

"That's what I need to find out," replied the blonde woman with dread in her voice. The doctor pushed a button to signal for assistance. It flashed on the wall as she prepped the patient. "I'll run a series of tests and see what I can find. In the mean time, you two should head home. I'll take it from here."

The boy stood without complaint, but Hinata was reluctant to leave.

"Wait... Wh-what if _he_ comes back for her?" she directed her question to her cousin.

An annoyed smile reached Tsunade's face. "I presume you're talking about the Uchiha."

"Before Sakura passed out, she said Sasuke the only one there…"

"What are your thoughts?" asked Neji, halfway out the door.

"I agree, he's definitely a prime suspect. He came in before looking for Sakura. I don't know why, but he was…_uncomfortable_ to say the least," Tsunade answered. She looked down at the pale-faced girl who was teetering on the brink of death. Tsunade felt her unbeating heart tighten. "If anything, this mess was definitely premeditative…"

Hinata's pearly eyes widened. "You really think he _planned_ on killing Sakura?"

"He was definitely up to something, I just couldn't figure out what…"

Then, the two assisting nurses arrived. All conversation was dropped the second the living walked through the door. Neji stepped out of the way as they prepared to move Sakura upstairs to an examination room; Tsunade spoke: "You two need to get going. She's in very capable hands."

Neji nodded and walked into the hallway to call for a ride home. Hinata paused and got one last look at Sakura before following after him. If she didn't know any better, Hinata would've mistaken Sakura for a corpse, being wheeled away to the morgue to be lost in metal cabinets and labeled by numbers. She hoped that would be the last place Sakura would end up in, but for now, she couldn't be so sure.

* * *

><p>Sakura was safely returned to her room: sleeping, passing out, or a combination of both. Tsunade, on the other hand, was hard at work looking into microscopes of Sakura's numerous blood samples. With one eye closed, she peered into the eyepiece and turned knobs to focus the image.<p>

Pink circles showed without difficultly but the inadequate amount of them was staggering. She was willing to issue a blood transfusion for the girl after she fully understood her condition. The doctor was able to distinguish between the red and white blood cells with ease, but a strange blackish cell appeared as well. She pulled away, mystified, and sifted through the numerous scans and reports that returned from lab technicians around the hospital. The materials were laid out on the desk as hazel eyes reviewed every piece of information. She stayed glued to the scans despite the incoming piles of other folders and documents that would have to wait their turn.

"Dr. Tsunade," She didn't bother to look up, having recognized the voice instantly. "Sorry to bother you, this needs your signature."

"Shizune," the blonde woman said, still eyeing her work and taking no notice of the papers in the young doctor's hands. "What does this look like to you?" Tsunade pulled out a magnified image of a cardiac PET scan and pointed towards a small darkened mass.

"Dead tissue…? Maybe the result of a heart attack?" said the black-haired physician with a hint of uncertainty. She tried squinting to get a better look at the tiny spot on the image. "But most heart attacks cause ten times more damage. This person's kind of lucky if you think about it…"

"Hmm… lucky…" Tsunade's voice trailed off as she studied the information intently for a minute longer.

_Except this person didn't have a heart attack…_, she thought, but she nevertheless smiled at Shizune's uplifting ignorance.

In the end, her hunch was right. It was indeed _dead tissue_ on Sakura's heart, but it wasn't the kind from a heart attack like Shizune had suggested...

_Dead blood cells and heart tissue…?_

She was taken away from her thoughts as the other presence in the room cleared her voice.

"Um, Doctor? Your signature?"

"Oh, of course," A black pen left her script on the dotted line. "…and thank you for your input."

.

On the outside, the persistent beeping, buzzing, and humming of the countless machines rang throughout the room. The inactive body lay under the thin sheets that crinkled like paper.

On the inside, the conscious mind was just as still. It wandered back into the depths of the subconscious, losing all sense of direction and reality. The darkest recess of her mind kept creeping its way forward every time she closed her eyes. And this time was no exception.

"A drink?"

Sakura looked ahead and saw her prevalent weakness, offering a full glass. The crimson liquid spilled slightly over the rim and slid down the crystal ever so slowly. A drop splattered against the small table the two were seated at.

"No? More for me…," he said, downing the entire glass's contents in one swallow. The drink stained his lips and Sakura watched as his tongue licks the rest. He exhaled in delight and situated the glass in the middle of them.

In an instant, she was in the black room again.

"Why am I here?" she asked more forcefully this time around. "Again?"

With his fingers intertwined, he leaned forward in his seat. "You brought yourself here."

She was taken back.

"This never ends well for you," Sasuke reminded quite harshly. A bone trembling chill shook her entire body as his sinister eyes fall on her. Her frantic nature made Sasuke roll his eyes.

"I'm here to warn you."

.

_What is going on?_

Tsunade was getting more fascinated as the night went on. The hours kept ticking and the piles of backed-up work kept rising, but that didn't stop her from following her lead. After going through her outsized books on vampiric science, Tsunade was ready to "diagnose" her patient. Half-breeds like Hinata Hyuuga were already a rarity, but Sakura's case was especially rare. In her over 500 years of life, Tsunade has never seen anything like it.

All vampires are born as humans, even if they were conceived by vampire parents. By the time the human-destined-to-be-vampire reaches puberty, the transformation begins; the human heart is readily invaded by _still cells,_ or vampire cells that are technically considered "dead." In pure vampires, the entire heart is killed and replaced with still cells, while in half-breeds, only half the human heart is destroyed. In most cases, the half-human heart can't withstand the still cell takeover and the half-breed tends to die out – making half-breeds uncommon.

Here's where the medical mystery comes into play. Tsunade surmised that Sakura was less than 1/1000 infected with still cells even before the attack, meaning her line of heritage must've carried half breeds for centuries; mixed-breeds that somehow survived and married into human families further diluting the vampiric nature. Nevertheless, Sakura's heart was still fragile compared to the average human heart, but her minuscule vampire part manages to keep her alive, even in near-death experiences. A genetic code that has adapted to being alive and dead for centuries. A human that could survive vampire attacks over and over again.

The perfect prey.

.

His voice was flat and emotionless. She took a second to breathe and process what he just said.

"Warn me? Of what?"

"Myself," he stated matter-of-factly. Another bottle appeared out of thin air and he poured himself another glass. "But you never listen."

"I don't really follow…," replied Sakura, confused beyond her wits.

"Let's say I'm a part of your subconscious, a personification of… _a darker side of you_ that you never knew existed…"

"So you're like, a part of me," she said, cautiously. He nodded and swished the liquid in the wineglass. "But then, why do you look like Sasuke?"

"Tch… He's in your subconscious – _a lot_."

A scarlet hue reached her cheeks, but she doesn't deny the indisputable truth. Her subconscious has definitely done its research because he looked exactly like the real thing. He sounded like him, talked like him, and even smelled like him. This dream-Sasuke was hands down the sexiest pigment of her imagination. Ever.

"Well, I never imagined you drinking wine…," she noted innocently, eyeing the drop of crimson splattered on the table.

A dashing devil's smile appeared on his face.

"I never said this was wine."

.

"Lady Tsunade called," said Hinata, placing the phone down on the receiver. Her cousin looked up from his book as he sat at the dining room table. "She said she called Ms. Haruno and told her our story. She also said that everything's under control…"

"That's it?"

"That's it…"

Neji pulled the book in front of his face and lost himself in an array of words and plotlines. A minute later, he lowered the book and saw his younger cousin still standing by the kitchen phone, biting her nails down to their beds. Her anxiety got the best of her as she opened her mouth again.

"Y-You don't think that's…odd? She should've found something by now…"

"Are you second guessing her? Now _that's_ odd. Not very Hinata of you."

"W-Well…what's really _odd_ is Sakura coming back to life…like magic, or something."

"Even so, if Tsunade is keeping secrets, she most likely has a legitimate reason for doing so."

The early morning rays shimmered against the polished kitchen counters. It caught Hinata's eye and she turned to watch a line of birds fly across the ginger sky. With a heavy heart, she asked, "Neji, Do you think she'll be all right…?"

He turned a page in his book. "She's in the process of healing all on her own. If nothing disrupts her, I'm sure she'll be the pinnacle of health in no time."

.

"…Change the subject," Sasuke suggested. The sick, warning feeling was lying dormant in her stomach, but she successfully ignored it.

"Okay then… Why are you still wearing your Halloween costume?" Sakura laughed when she glanced at his designer suit and flamboyant cape. She noticed her clothes changed every time she entered this candle-lit room. The baby blue hospital gown she was currently wearing was barely covering her, but that was the least of her worries.

It was his turn to laugh. "It's not a costume."

"So what? You're supposed to be a vampire every day?" she giggled harmlessly, but soon noticed a dark gleam in his eye. The lighthearted feeling in her chest quickly turned into fear that was now boring holes in her stomach.

She gulped nervously. "…You're not kidding."

Sasuke sighed roughly and placed both hands on the table to push out of his seat.

"It seems your conscious mind likes to protect you… by suppressing painful memories, experiences…" he spoke agonizingly slow, walking closer to her. "I want to help you remember."

His ominous presence was getting too close for comfort. It was suffocating her. In a hysterical rush, Sakura stood, knocking over her chair in the process. She backed into the curtained wall behind her and forgot just what little space there was between them. In a split-second, he's in front of her – with a disturbing smile plastered on his beautiful face.

White fangs appeared and her eyes closed tight. Then, the rush of agonizing sensation pounded through her entire body. Flash memories appeared in each and every direction. The drunken haze lifted and with her own eyes, she witnessed everything. The moonlight gleaming against the metal bed frame, the bristled yarn from the quilt scratching against her skin, the sound of his demonic laughter…

She experienced his touch, his lips, his words…

_"I'm going to kill you, Sakura…"_

The blood.

The pain.

_The night she died._

The flood of recognition was beyond excruciating. It shook her to the core and the only reality she now knew would forever change her. It wasn't a hangover that brought her here. It wasn't spiked drinks or food poisoning. It was _him_. The identity of her fatal flaw – Sasuke Uchiha, a blood-obsessed vampire, drunk with an unquenchable thirst.

_A vampire._

_A killer._

_A monster._

The realization was too overwhelming to take in.

The memory of her death generated enough pain to jolt her awake. Upon waking, her eyes widened in sheer terror. Her body was coated with sweat and frozen tremors whether it was from fear or heavy medication. A dreadful scream lodged in her throat and a weight crushed her chest. She was hoping for a dream, a nightmare, but this was…

Reality.

Towering over her was her prince charming of darkness that has been tormenting her since the day they met. His remorseless eyes watched her like they always have. She only now realized the deranged air that was emitting off of him and filling the room.

But it's too late. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

In a twisted sense of courtesy, he opened his mouth and the voice of a fallen angel rung in her ears.

"Welcome back."

* * *

><p>The Memories<p>

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**Please Review.**


	13. The Paranoia

_Last night, I had the most terrifying nightmare._

It was Sunday morning. The inharmonious squawking from the outside crows penetrated the walls, but it couldn't overtake the robotic beeps of various machines connected to her skin; even murmurs from the television were lost in the orchestra of noise.

_I woke up to escape it. _

_But he was still there._

The monster inside her, a genuine demon, existed in the real world.

"Welcome back."

He was here, standing no less than two feet away. His tone was bitter, caustic. After all that has happened, she could finally see behind that handsomely deceiving mask.

A mask he no longer cared to hide behind.

Their gazes met; deep, endless eyes meet soft, viridian. She tried to make out what he was thinking, but unlike her, he was incredibly hard to read. If she was an open book, he was a grimoire under lock and key. His face was stone, yet every hateful emotion possible was lying under the surface of his ghastly skin. Jet black hair veiled over his forehead as he loomed at her bedside in the most hostile manner. Her throat was desert dry, but she had enough fluid running through her to produce tears that were slowly clouding her vision.

The realization finally set in.

_He's going to kill me._

A sudden break in his prefect masquerade: a twitch at the corner of his mouth, from anger and hunger, no doubt. Hot tears were streaming down the sides of her face and ugly sobs gurgled from her throat. He was coming closer.

_I can't move. I can't scream. _

_What did I do to deserve this?_

Then, the entire setting quaked from below as fissures spidered up along the walls until the ceiling, the windows, everything deteriorated and fell to pieces. The black flames of Hell shot out from every cracked opening; she threw her hands up for protection against the scorching heat. The demon stood still, basking in the comfortable warmth, completely immune to his indigenous territory. He then lunged forward, ready to take her life without missing a beat, but she blinked and in a split second –

Everything is back to normal.

* * *

><p>[13] The Paranoia<p>

* * *

><p>Nightmares. Hallucinations. Reality?<p>

The stress was finally getting to her. Even after snapping out of her living nightmare, the room continued to spin. Sakura quivered under the sheets and began to feel something horrible rise in her throat. As she tried to sit up, her feeble arms buckled underneath her weight and she fell back in the fluff of her pillows. The abrupt movement jerked the bile forward and the dry heaving began.

Sasuke, who has been innocently standing by her side since she woke, bursted into reflexive action. Without thinking, he reached for an empty basin, but the good deed backfired. His sheer proximity was frightening her; it made her stomach summersault even more. She pulled her hand out in defense, misunderstanding his motives. Her entire being shuttered forward with every risk of puking.

"D-don't!" she yelped behind her hand covering her mouth. Bewildered, he stepped back. A retort was set to shoot out of his mouth, but Tsunade walked in with eyes ablaze. She pointed a polished nail at the vampire crowding the ailed girl.

"You have some explaining to d-" She walked forward and next notices the pink-haired girl behind him, finally awake.

"Oh, Sakura!" Tsunade cooed, following a whiplash of emotion. "Good Morn- …"

The meager contents of Sakura's stomach splashed against the floor on the opposite side of the bed. She whimpered and her face turned from a shade of puke-pallor white to a humiliated pink.

"…"

.

She laughed apologetically. "So-sorry…"

"Five times is enough, don't apologize anymore! This is a hospital, for Pete's sake," Tsunade ordered with spunk to lighten the mood. "This is what we're paid to do." Sakura meekly smiled despite herself. The doctor stood up and stretched her back after being bent over for some time. She walked into the adjacent private bathroom to toss the used towels and wash up.

Meanwhile, Sakura wiped her mouth with a damp cloth. In her peripheral vision, she noticed Sasuke watching her from the couch. His eyes were digging under her skin and she couldn't feel more uncomfortable. She wanted him to leave, and as if Tsunade read her mind, she appeared right on time and called out to him.

"You, hallway. NOW."

"I need to talk to her," he said, his words melting with notable insolence. "Alone."

Sakura shot him a look and instantly regretted it; just looking at him made the queasiness return. It was almost amazing how her failed assassin was sitting two feet away from her and not in a stone cell, rotting forever – if vampires could rot, that is. It made her skin crawl. Was he really going to get away with this? Nonetheless, he doesn't move an inch.

"It can wait, her health comes first."

But Sasuke wasn't the only sketchy one. It was unusual for the chief of medicine to be anywhere near patient rooms because she was customarily stuck under stacks of paperwork and glued to her desk. Sakura may have been blacking out, going through hellish earthquakes, and getting the life sucked out of her all day, but she wasn't dense. First, Hinata was being very un-Hinata, and now Dr. Tsunade takes a sudden interest in her case? Sakura was growing more and more suspicious about the people around her. Whether this paranoia was the aftermath of learning the world's deadliest secret or not, she didn't know, but what she did know was that she was sick of it.

This charade.

"Nausea is a common symptom with heavy blood loss," reported the doctor, tampering with a syringe, "I'll give you some liquid medication since you can't seem to keep anything down." She laughed lightly, but the words were flying in one ear and out the other. Whatever she was saying sounded so fake, so rehearsed… "It will prevent any allergic reactions for the blood transfusion I have prepared for y- "

"No," said Sakura, refusing the needle, the treatment, and anything Tsunade was willing to offer. "I want to hear what Sasuke has to say."

Their gazes met again, but this time, she was awake for certain.

"Well?" Sakura asked, but Sasuke could see it in her eyes, the mirrors into her soul. It was melancholy, resentment, and anguish mixed together in a sea of green. For the first time, he did not have anything to say. No witty comebacks. No smart remarks.

"How about an _apology_?"

_An apology?_ Sasuke picked up on her underlying tone, one that was brimming with vile curiosity, one that said words that were entirely different from the words spewing from her mouth: _I know what you did. I know what you are._

_I know you tried to kill me._

A daring half-smile graced his lips. Dangerous, toying with the balance of life.

Trusting a murderer to tell all? Unlikely.

Trusting the living with secrets of the dead? Unheard of.

Trusting each other? _Impossible._

"I have nothing to apologize for," he announces ruthlessly as he walked out of the room, smooth and guilt-free. Tsunade let him pass, already having a clue on what this lovers' quarrel could be about. Before he left through the open doorway, Sakura caught the look on his face: smug and self-satisfied. Her confidence died after that. She practically told him she knew his secret. She also got what she sought after, he vanished, but she was more on edge now than ever.

"When can I get out of here?"

"After this blood transfusion…" Tsunade answered in a sing-song voice that carried a tinge of annoyance. All the disruptions were ruining her momentum. As she administered the shot, the woman took note on Sakura's appearance. Her complexion was growing peachy, returning to a normal shade. Her heartbeat was getting back to a standard pace and strength. It was amazing, considering how _human_ she was overall. It would be considered a medical miracle, but the chief was one step ahead.

"Actually, it looks like you won't need this transfusion, after all. Or this shot, for that matter…" She pulled out a gauzy white pad and placed it on the shot site.

"Really? Why not?" Sakura feigned bafflement. She knew she wouldn't need it. It would have been down-right pathetic to get a blood transfusion for pitiful kitchen accident. It was true that Sakura wasn't a four-star chef like her mother, but she believed she wasn't _that_ uncoordinated – how was this story able to fool anyone? How do you manage to fail at chopping onions so badly that you completely bypass your own fingers to fly the blade straight into your own arm? The wound was still under wraps, but how bad was this "accident," anyway?

"It seems we over estimated just how much blood was actually lost…" _Or you're healing much faster than I previously anticipated. _"We can discharge you by tonight, if you're ready."

"Tonight?"

Going home tonight means going to school tomorrow.

Going to school tomorrow means going to see Sasuke.

Going to see Sasuke means…

_Am I really ready to face him?_

To face death?

Sakura gulped, fearful for her days. Would it be wrong to give a self-diagnosis? Normally, it would be, but the last thing Sakura wanted to do as to grab Tsuande's attention yet again. She really didn't want another reason to stay – she is already a sitting duck as is – except she was uncertain about the perilous world outside of these four walls.

But all the doubt in the world couldn't stop her now. It was already decided; she needed to take her chances. She needed to get the hell out of here.

Her diagnosis: Stress-induced hallucinations.

Because at that very moment, the anxiety caused her to fall into another delusion where the gravity in the room disappeared; everything was accelerating around her. She willed herself to control the commotion, to keep the craziness in check. She gripped the edge of her bed and waited for the stirring to end. It worked, for now.

Tsunade stood waiting for an answer, but she didn't have to wait for long.

"I'll be ready."

.

"Hey! I'm not finished with you!" yelled Tsunade, having left Sakura in her room and stomping along the empty private wing. Sasuke continued without breaking his stride. Eventually, the old woman caught up and grabbed him by the arm only to have him yank himself free. "You're walking on thin ice, Uchiha, just barging in like that."

"It's not considered _barging in_ when the door is wide open," he replied with a frame of arrogance.

"The nerve." She rolled her eyes. "Do you mind explaining why Sakura's suddenly your person of interest, then?"

"Che, I can ask you the same thing," he challenged. He crossed his arms over his navy parka. "You know something."

"As do you." She made a false smile. "However, I think I'm closer to finding out your secret, than you are when finding out mine. So, in other words, I think this conversation is over. And if you don't want to be fed through a tube for the rest of your existence, then I suggest you stay away from her. Permanently."

Sasuke shot her a defiant stare.

"I really hope her blood was worth it," Tsunade spoke darkly as she walked on by. "Consider this as your last warning."

Sasuke clenched his fists and was ready to punch the wall. He was guilty as charged.

_They know._

* * *

><p>"Wakey, wakey!"<p>

Sakura could not manage to sleep a wink since her natural disaster of a wake-up call this morning, so yes, she was very much awake.

She turned her head away from the plasma screen to see a beam of sunshine bursting through her door. It had a name, Ino Yamanaka. She carried a bouquet of pink peonies, blooming flowers with delicate petals and pointed leaves. They fairly resembled cherry blossoms, coincidentally.

"Oh my god, what happened to _YOU?_ And who said you and Hinata could have a sleepover without me? Hmm?" Ino hopped forward and gave a painful one-armed squeeze. Sakura figured Hinata told her the cover-up story, but was pleasantly surprised to find that she was able to withstand the crushing hug without shattering to pieces.

"H-Hey, Ino," murmured the girl in a headlock. Her face was turning purple when the blonde finally decided to let go. Ino trekked to the other end of the room to place the bouquet near the windowsill. "And the sleepover was last-minute, I wouldn't have survived the ride home..."

"I don't even _remember_ getting back home! I swear on my life, I couldn't even tell which way was up by the time I got there, hahaha!"

"Yeah, I know the feeling…," Sakura agreed, hinting at more reasons than one.

Ino threw back her hair and laughed out loud. "Well, you know what they say about parties: the less you remember, the better it was."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"You better get well soon! These flowers are supposed to mean like… long life or something like that," said the alleged upcoming-florist. She filled a tall plastic container with some water and rearranged the peonies in their new home. "Or at least that's what my mom told me… pretty, right?"

"Yeah thanks, Ino…" _Long life? I need all the help I can get._ Sakura turned her head back to the mind-numbing television when her friend caught her attention with a shriek.

"What the hell is _that_? Poppy flowers? That's disgusting!" she yelled, regarding the miniature ceramic pot at Sakura's side table. The patient adjusted her position and saw the simple, red plants, blooming like any ordinary flower. God save us, more flowers. "Who the hell put these here?"

"What's the matter? They're just flowers…"

"Do you know what these flowers _mean_?"

"Like you do?" Sakura giggled.

"Yeah, laugh it up, clumsy!" Ino gently touched one of the petals. They were definitely real. "They symbolize eternal sleep…or _death_. This is just in bad taste." Ino shook her head, but Sakura just stared onwards. It was an invitation to her own funeral.

"Maybe they were meant for someone else… I didn't see anyone else coming in with flowers," her voice was flat, empty. Even so, she has an idea of who just might want her dead...

"Look, there's a tag, maybe we can find out who sent it…" The visitor plucked off the gift tag tied to one of the stems. She looked it over and scoffed. "There isn't anything on it!"

How ominous.

"Was this some sick joke? Because this is NOT funny…," spoke Ino, ready to throw them out. "Okay, that's it. Flowers, BAD idea…" She grabbed the ceramic pot and tossed it into the trash. The crashing sound made Sakura grip her sheets; the room was starting to spiral yet again.

_'I'm not safe here,' _Sakura thought frantically as the walls oozed blood and soon, they came tumbling down.

_Anywhere_.

She was near tears when Ino shook her, pulling her mind away from its twisted fantasy. Watery emeralds glanced up and Ino held her hand out. The blonde was already seated on the couch, calm and cozy. The whole flower fiasco was already behind her and crumbling in the trash.

"Earth to Sakura? The remote, please? I want to see what else is on."

Without a word, she complied and the world gradually shifted back into focus. Walls were still in place. Gravity seems to be working out. The room was blood-free.

"Ew, sports channel…," Ino commented, pressing another button. She pursed her lips at the local News channel, as well. The silence got her asking, "You okay, Pinkie?"

Sakura exhaled and relaxed. "I'm getting there…"

* * *

><p>Sakura slid her bandaged arm into her sleeve when her mother sighed deeply.<p>

"I thought you were in a hurry to leave," said Mebuki, with the car keys ready. "It's getting dark out."

"My arm still hurts," Sakura complained. "This isn't exactly a walk in the park." The rest of her body was still achy to some extent, but she left that detail out intentionally. Her mom was clueless and that meant she needed to stick to the cover story. A bad cut on the arm, nothing more. No alcohol, no hallucinations, and no vampires. Definitely no vampires. Sakura zipped up her sweater and carried the empty duffel bag that was once carrying her change of clothes. "Okay, I'm ready."

It had rained a few hours prior to Sakura's release. The ground was still glistening with the freshly fallen rain that would freeze into snow by the end of the month. They crossed into the shimmering parking lot and jumped into the car without much to say.

"It was nice of Dr. Tsunade to give you a private room, especially one for free. How thoughtful," Mebuki broke the silence. There was no way her mom would be okay with having Hinata pay for a room that cost around $1000 a night. The only solution: Another lie. "You know, we need to send her a gift basket or some flowers. Or maybe a free dinner at Four Leaf? Haha. I'm sure she'd love that."

The word "flowers" instantly made Sakura feel on edge and if anyone deserved a gift basket, it would be the Hyuuga family. But of course, another lie led to another and then another, so Sakura, wanting to keep her mouth shut for once, just nodded in agreement. Everything just seemed to be snowballing out of control today.

They pulled into the driveway and the familiar furball sitting at the door immediately caught Sakura's attention. Hina trotted over, meowing unremittingly, and rubbed against her leg. Sakura smiled and disregarded the slight pain from bending over to pet the cat's soft fur. Her hand reached out, but the strangest emotion passes over her. She froze and a nagging feeling in the back of her mind makes her question the simple notion of petting a cat.

Was her subconscious trying to tell her something?

"…_you never listen," _she remembered a voice once saying.

_Or maybe I'm just crazy._

Sakura lifted the feline into her arms and trailed behind her mother. They took off their shoes and closed the door behind them. The nagging feeling followed along. Once upstairs, Sakura got ready for bed and stared at herself in the bathroom mirror.

"I don't look _completely_ dead. That's a good start," she said to herself. She took a brush and raked the knots out of her matted bedhead. The water ran and she brushed her teeth thoroughly while her mind entered a dark place.

Sakura always wondered how she would die. Would she be in the middle of an armed robbery? A hostage situation? Tortured, raped, or a life-threatening disease? For sixteen years, it never occurred to her, until now, but she never once considered that she would live a full and meaningful life until a ripe old age. She wouldn't just be happy on her deathbed and die accepting all her mistakes and regrets with loving children and grandchildren surrounding her, smiling and waving her off to Heaven. No, she was never that lucky. She always imagined a bullet hole through her skull, ropes tied aggressively around her feet, or her body ripped apart in a dark basement somewhere in this world. But now that all these possibilities seemed more realistic than not, she didn't know what to think.

But God damn it, it was really depressing.

.

10:17 PM: Sakura gets into bed, Hina situates herself at the girl's feet, and they both try to get some shut eye. The lights go off for the night.

1:34 AM: The only one sleeping is Hina; Sakura stares at her ceiling like she has been doing for the past 3 hours. Stray headlights from outside generate the moving shadows that stretched along her bedroom.

2:46 AM: Finally falls asleep. She plummets into the Black Room and sees the subject of her nightmares. She doesn't take her chances.

2:50 AM: Wakes the fuck up. Decides to never sleep again. It should be considered anti-sleep, judging from just how tired she was after she wakes.

3:55 AM: Hina stirs, Sakura cringes. Every movement in the darkness creeps her out. Her eyelids were like lead, but she'd rather kill herself than fall asleep.

5:23 AM: Falls asleep despite her convictions. Can someone be so exhausted, they can't even dream?

6:00 AM: Hates herself. Alarm goes off. School in an hour.

Death in an hour.

Sakura hauled herself to the bathroom and turned on the shower. The soothing mist blanketed her exposed body. Her inevitable demise was all she thought about.

_If I were about to die right now, what would I do?_ She prepared herself with every escape plan and defense method possible. The only viable weapon would be her half-filled shampoo bottle. It hurt like a bitch when it fell on her foot, but would it really work against a blood-sucking predator?

Clothed and as ready as she'd ever be, Sakura entered her empty kitchen to make some instant oatmeal. She envied her mom who was still snoozing upstairs after spending her late shift managing and cooking at the restaurant. The sous-chef left Sakura alone last night to rush to work and she would be damned to be up at 6 AM. The teen would have no choice but to fend for herself.

The water boiled at just the right temperature and the oatmeal cooked on contact. Turning off the stove, Sakura then took the bowl and sat by her lonesome at the circular kitchen table.

_If a vampire were to come rushing in, how would I defend myself?_

The kitchen had an array of weapons to choose from. The entire knife collection, professionally polished and sharpened. The heavy, non-stick pots and pans hanging over the stove. The volcanic hot sauce sitting in their refrigerator. Even the boiling tea kettle or oatmeal could've harmed an intruder with some first degree burns. But a vampire…?

She took one bite of her goop and threw it in the trash. It already wasn't sitting right inside of her. The bowl went into the dishwasher and Sakura grabbed her winter coat. It was relatively easy to put it on, no pain or suffering to her surprise. She locked the front door behind her. Physically, she was feeling better, but her mental state was a completely different story.

The 20-minute walk to school was cut in half thanks to her anxious strides. She rushed past the blurred line between the end of the suburbs and the start of the cityscape.

_If he were chasing after me, what can I use to protect myself?_

There wasn't much, beside her messenger bag, filled with a folder of notes and a homework planner. There was a naked tree branch lying across the sidewalk, but she couldn't exactly defend herself with it. A broken beer bottle was lying near the edge of a passing building, but a certain killer would mercilessly laugh in her face if she tried to use it.

Everything she thought of was close to useless.

_What DOES work against vampires?_ She racked her brain for any useful hints. All the vampire movies, books, and comics she ever came across fell out the back of her mind. And it seemed her subconscious killer decided to take a holiday. Unbelievable.

Konohagakure High School. She stepped foot on campus and eyed the Roman numeral clock on the face of the building. According to its hands, she had 15 minutes left to live. She tried to lose herself in the crowd, but the stress took over. She whipped her head around in every direction as the students drifted into the school. Everyone was a potential threat. Everyone was a possible killer.

_If a vampire were to sneak up on me, what would-_

"Sakura?"

Heart pounding, she turned around at the sound of her name and came face to face with Hinata, smiling kindly as always. The relief she was feeling was absolutely splendid.

"How are you feeling? How's your arm?" Hinata winked at the mentioning of their little secret. The bandages were off and no scars were left behind.

Sakura pulled up the coat sleeve and showed her. "Pretty good, but I can't believe it healed already..."

"Y-Yeah… Neji said he didn't make the cut _that_ deep. He wasn't aiming on actually hurting you, or anything."

_If only that were true for everyone…_

"Right… well, it's not like I felt it anyway. I was out cold for most of the night. I learned my lesson, no more drinks for me." Sakura was well aware that it wasn't alcohol that ended her up in the hospital, but did Hinata know that? She knew what happened, she knew the truth, but she needed to keep secrets from people she cared about. She couldn't afford to put more people in danger.

Hinata smiled awkwardly in response. The two of them pushed through the massive traffic and reached Sakura's locker. The pinkette fumbled with the combination and cursed under her breath. She looked up and squinted at a clock in the hallway:

6 minutes remaining.

The numbers on the combination lock started dancing to the rhythm of a funeral march. A deep sounding organ lurked around some unseen corner and played the famous tune that echoed in her mind – her warped, delusional mind. The lock began to melt and drip between her fingers; she retracted her hand as it burned her to the bone. The hands of the clock were spinning out of control until they reached 7 o'clock.

The beginning of the end.

"N-No," she whispers desperately. "N-No, no, no."

_I don't want to die!_

_I DON'T WANT TO DIE!_

"Sakura!"

5 minutes remaining.

She's shocked back into reality as Hinata placed a hand on her back. If she kept walking backwards, she would have run into someone. Except Sakura didn't even know anyone was there. Everyone disappeared when she was having her episodes; she was forced to face her psychotic periods on her own. She would be trapped in her own mind.

Hinata's voice was so sweet and motherly.

"Are you okay?"

_No. I'm not okay. I'm going to die in 5 minutes. LESS than 5 minutes. I don't know how exactly, but it will happen. Trust me, I know what I saw. Sasuke Uchiha, remember him? Yeah, well, he's a vampire. And not like some romantic, love-obsessed vampire. More like the I'll-rip-you-apart-then-laugh-maniacally-about-it kind of vampire. For some crazy ass reason, he tried to kill me. You heard me right, KILL ME. So, no, Hinata, I'm not okay. _

_I'm not fucking okay. _

_I'm going to fucking die at 16._

_SIXTEEN. I can't even drive! I can't even buy myself a drink at the bar! I haven't even had sex yet!_

_I'll never get to go to medical school! I'll never get a job or have kids! I'll be in the GROUND or wherever else he decides to put me. Hopefully, my body will end up in a nice mausoleum, but hey, I can't be picky when _

_I'M ABOUT TO DIE. _

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just can't get my stupid locker open."

* * *

><p>The moment of truth.<p>

The hallways were emptying out and the classrooms were being filled. Hinata was already on the other side of the school by now, entering her first period class without any threat to her life. Ino was probably in a bathroom, fixing her make-up and making pouty faces at herself in the mirror.

Sakura stood alone in front of her Advanced Course Algebra II and Trigonometry classroom. The door was closed in front of her, but she could see everything clearly:

Mr. Kakashi, writing the topic of the day on the musty chalkboard. Shikamaru, putting his head down on the cold desk. Naruto, chatting and laughing about subjects unrelated to math.

And Sasuke, waiting for her.

5.

Sakura took a deep breath.

4.

She accepted her fate.

3.

Maybe she did something wrong in a past life?

2.

Well, she was going to make up for it now.

1.

The first period bell shrilled loudly in her ears, but the death march was all she can hear.

She reached for the knob and threw the door open. Rows of desks were neatly organized. The blackboard was lined with erasers and chalk at its ledge. Textbooks were arranged in an orderly fashion on the bookshelf. This was not what she imagined.

No Sasuke in sight.

No Kakashi, No Naruto, no one was there. An empty classroom. She stepped inside and the eerie feeling clung to her skin.

"Where is everyone?"

* * *

><p>The Paranoia<p>

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**Please Review. **


	14. The Ultimatum

Sakura tentatively walked in and peered over at every corner of the classroom. Empty desk, empty desk, empty teacher's desk. Nope, no one was in here.

_Am I hallucinating again?_

"We're in the library," spoke a voice from behind her. She gasped, knowing exactly who it was. The delicate fabric of her sanity morphed his words into a haunting remark:

"_I'm going to kill you_."

She turned around, startled. "What?"

"We're in the library, Sakura," he announced.

"_I'm going to kill you, Sakura."_

She stuttered, again unsure of what she heard. "…W-What?"

"Are you deaf?" Sasuke rolled his aloof and unreachable eyes. He stood in a grey button-up shirt and a pair of dark-washed, straight-legged jeans. And yet, she saw sporadic flashes of him in his sleek, black suit, complete with a rivulet of blood seeping from his lips. But it wasn't real.

It could've been. They were alone. He had a clear shot at her. He could lock the door, rush at her, gnaw at her neck. She could helplessly struggle, but ultimately die on the floor. That's how it's supposed to go down.

He was the hunter, she was the hunted.

She looked at the clock.

7:01AM

_I'm still alive?_

* * *

><p>[14] The Ultimatum<p>

* * *

><p>There was a war raging inside of him.<p>

There was a simple truth that even he could not deny: He was interested in her. Not that he was in love with her, no need to get carried away, but after some careful evaluation, feelings changed. He had come to not completely dislike her, but that was all he would ever admit to. She was no longer a burden – she may potentially become useful.

To him, she was alluring in more ways than one. He had a taste of her and an epiphany shattered the meaning of his existence. After nearly 100 years of walking this earth, he finally experienced what it was like to _live – _to feel something truly satisfying, something besides empty feelings like loathing and hatred. It was not an experience he was willing to just throw away.

He used to get personal exaltation from overindulging on the blood of the living, but once Sakura entered this world, his covetous hunger started to spiral out of control. He needed something _new,_ something _special_. His kills became gruesome and disturbing, straight out of the world's most petrifying nightmares to make up for the missing piece. A new high, his inexorable greed would take over his mind as he searched for something to fill the sudden void. Nothing sufficed.

Then, he had her and he felt complete. He thought the bliss would last…

Until she woke up.

Then, the angst-filled mood swings started all over again. He was furious, enraged, and ready to obliterate her without batting an eye. But he realized this was his chance. He generated an ingenious idea; hours and hours of sitting in a hospital bathroom had that kind of effect. He could stop his inner demons with her blood. By keeping her alive, she could be his cure. She could save him from himself…

But his sinister passenger still lurked inside of him. He wanted her in the darkest, sickest way possible: to ruin her innocence and the purity inside of her. Sasuke wanted to destroy her humanity to suck it up for himself.

The battle was between his will to live and his urge to kill.

A part of him wanted her alive. Another part of him wanted her dead.

He was conflicted beyond belief.

When he saw her face when she awoke at the hospital, he wasn't sure how to feel. The new understanding was present in her face, it was clear as day: she knew his secret. Whether she heard it from those around her or she reached an epiphany of her own, Sakura knew of his curse. If she was good at keeping secrets, he figured it could work to his advantage. He could finally _live_. So he left, trying to keep formulate a plan worthy of his regenesis.

When he left the hospital on Sunday, he paid a visit to Sakura's bodyguards. He knocked on the impressively crafted door and met with the half-breed. At first, she was timid.

"Ne-Neji isn't here…if y-you're looking for h-"

"I'm not," he had cut her off. Her speech impediment was annoying. "What did you do with Sakura?"

"Why don't you just leave her alone? W-We know what you did." Well, most of the stuttering stopped. Apparently, when her friend came into the picture, a small spurt of confidence appeared.

"Circumstantial evidence. Now, answer my question," he threatened. Her confidence declined, but she stood her ground with semi-trembling feet. Following the lines of useless conversation and a few threats here and there, Hinata told Sasuke about Sakura's instantaneous recovery. No blood transfusion. No injections. No vampire interference whatsoever. It seemed the Hyuugas were officially off the hook, but it was still so…

Intriguing.

Sakura Haruno was such a mystery.

* * *

><p>Sakura kept a good distance between them as they walked towards the school's library. According to Sasuke, they had a substitute today, but Kakashi didn't leave lesson plans, so they managed to reserve the library for the period. Sakura visualized herself lost in the shelves and shelves of manuscript, safely far, far away from him.<p>

With his long strides, Sasuke made it to the library doors first and held one open, figuring it wouldn't kill him to be a gentleman. He earned a suspicious look from Sakura. She dramatically avoided brushing up against him to get inside and he smirked to himself; her antics were so amusing. He then walked towards Naruto and Shikamaru meeting at the very last table, while Sakura hesitated, deciding on where to sit.

"Quiet down!" ordered Mr. Asuma, the history teacher. "We're in the library for _a reason_."

The volume seemed to lower down, but there was always that one kid who ruined it.

"SAKURA, OVER HERE!"

"Really Naruto! What the hell did I just say?"

The hyperactive teenager ignored the substitute and signaled her over. Sakura winced at the discomfiture and Naruto's disruptive behavior. Sure, he was a nice guy, but damn it all, she _really_ didn't want to be anywhere close to Sasuke right now. Nevertheless, she made her way over and dropped her books on the table. Naruto beamed in delight.

"Hey, grab a seat. Aren't cha glad Kakashi's not here today?"

She was just glad she wasn't dead.

"Sure... Sorry, but can I just leave my stuff here? I need to go look for a book," she excused herself, never actually sitting down. She piled her binders, folder, and planner and placed her black purse on top.

"A book for what?" inquired Shikamaru, sporting his typical ennui. Sakura nearly fumbled on her words trying for an excuse.

"O-Oh, the AC History paper. You didn't start it, yet?"

"It's due in two months…"

"I know, but it wouldn't hurt to start it early," she laughed nervously and glanced over at the object of her impending doom. The intent look he was giving her indicated that he could plainly see through the bullshit. His pleased grin was taunting her. And she didn't know how much more she could take before spiraling out of control.

Now in the other section of the library, Sakura dived behind the nearest shelf and scanned the books for anything remotely interesting. Whatever it was had to occupy her for the next hour because she'd rather rot behind dusty literature than in Sasuke's damp, moldy basement. The books were ancient references and encyclopedias about the "Most Influential Writers since the Dawn of Time" who wrote with dreary prose and 15th century terminology. Yawn.

She followed along the aisles and after a few minutes of searching, she came across a book that piqued her interest and one that could potentially save her life.

**The Paranormal Archives: Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Mysteries**

Eureka. She pulled out the oversized hardback and searched the index, organized by various topics. She sat on the carpet and dust leapt into the air as she turned the pages; she fanned her hand to keep herself from suffocating. In elegant script, the title ran across the top:

**Vampires: Creatures of the Night**

She caught the first word before her stomach dropped and a chilling voice called out to her.

"A book on history in the horror section…," the subject of her research said, facing away and reviewing another vampire encyclopedia for himself. He casually slipped it back into the shelf and raised his head to look at her.

Something dangerous flickered behind his eyes.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Sakura scurried to her feet, leaving The Paranormal Archives on the floor. The vampire stalked forward, taking the book and eyeing the open page. Sakura stood completely still as Sasuke quietly read. After an eternity of seconds, he scoffed and without looking up, he said:

"That's not true."

And that was NOT what she had imagined him saying in her final moments. Something along the lines of "Any last words?" or "Prepare to meet your maker" seemed more appropriate, no matter how dreadfully cliché the sayings were. She was speechless. Maybe under the brooding persona and infinite misery, he had some ironic sense of humor.

"'Garlic easily repels vampires'? Tch..." He snapped the book closed and held it out in front of him. "This is a _very _inaccurate source… Here," he joked with a straight face, but she didn't seem to find it funny. She quickly grabbed the book and pulled it to her chest in a defensive stance. Her frightened eyes turned into saucers and he belted out a sardonic laugh with his fantastically white teeth gleaming against the florescent lighting.

"Afraid?"

His candor was unnerving.

"A little," she announced honestly. He stepped forward, and she was frozen in place. The air inched towards a menacing atmosphere.

"I can smell it," he whispered as the distance closed with a foot left in between them.

_Oh GOD, he's going to kill me._

"I'm not going to kill you," he declared, as if reading her mind by chance. It took Sakura a second to register what miracle had left his mouth.

"…What?"

"You really need to get your hearing checked."

"No, I just don't understand. I mean, you're a…," her voice trailed off, leaving the statement lingering in the air.

"A… _what_, Sakura?" Her name just rolled off his tongue so perfectly, but he was mocking her to the extreme. Sakura was clearly uncomfortable, hiding behind that oversized pile of lies and being put on the spot. He liked watching her squirm and she was conscious of it. The bastard.

The wretched word was forming in her mouth when she noticed Sasuke discreetly glance over his shoulder, as if someone was coming. And sure enough, Mr. Asuma walked by, checking aisle by aisle for students gone astray.

"There you are, Sakura," the man said, scribbling onto a gridded piece of paper. "I was taking attendance and I thought I saw you coming in. So, what's going on? Why are you two hiding back here?" He pulled an unlit cigarette from the back of his ear, and twirled it around his fingers, itching to light it.

"History paper," declared Sasuke simply and Sakura slowly nodded her head.

"That's not due for a while. Getting started on it already?" His tone hinted at his skepticism.

"It wouldn't hurt," Sakura answered this time, recycling her excuse from five minutes ago. He _was_ the history teacher after all, maybe he would buy it. "By the way, do you know where Mr. Kakashi is?" She didn't forget the detention Kakashi slapped on her permanent record and she definitely couldn't forget who got her in detention in the first place…

"I couldn't tell you. I saw him this morning in the teacher's lounge. He pulled me aside, asked me to cover his class, and then he ran off. That guy…" he said, feeling the cancer stick in his hand. "…always has some hidden agenda."

"…Okay, thanks." Sakura assumed their sub meant to keep that last part to himself, so she ignored it and stuffed The Paranormal Archives onto the loaded bookshelf. Sasuke, on the other hand, took note; there was something off about that _Mr. Kakashi_, if that was even his real name.

"So, I'll let you kids get back to your _research_." Mr. Asuma made air quotes with his fingers, and leaned in to whisper, "Just a heads up, the history section is on the _other side _of the library if you actually get interested in starting that paper." A pinkish hue painted Sakura's cheeks at her teacher's insinuation. He laughed to himself as he walked away, carrying his pack of cigarettes and attendance book with him.

They both listened for the footsteps to fade before attending to the blood-sucking elephant in the room. Then, they exchanged looks.

"I said I wasn't going to kill you…," Sasuke started. "…yet."

* * *

><p>Mellow tunes hummed through the static radio as Kakashi drove down the streets of downtown Konoha. His cup of teacher's lounge coffee swished in the cheap styrofoam sitting in a plastic cup holder. He took a sip as he waited for a red light. The coffee was quite good today considering it was made from the best the school could afford, which wasn't much to being with, but the only regret he had was leaving campus without getting more. It was the only substance keeping him awake, but he was in a hurry.<p>

At least he was responsible enough to leave the students with someone remotely dependable.

_Looks like I owe you one, Asuma…. _

Kakashi parked his compact car down the street from his destination and fed the meter some change before starting down the sidewalk. With hands in his pockets, he kept his head down and made a sharp turn into a dank alleyway. At its end, he saw a workbench covered in sawdust and little chunks of wood. He knew he was in the right place.

By the workbench, a decrepit, white-painted door greeted him. As he turned the brass knob, chips of paint tumbled to the ground and a small, golden bell rang above him when he entered. The store was a forest's graveyard that smelled like fresh pine and cedar. He welcomed himself to Wood Release, a modest furniture store run by an old friend who was in need of a visit.

It slipped his mind that he entered through the covert back entrance, and he found himself behind the counter. The man he was trying to find had his feet up, engrossed in the morning news and his herbal tea. The tiny television buzzed when the antennas shifted out of place.

"How inconvenient…," the man grumbled out loud. Kakashi watched on as the brown-haired storeowner slammed the top of his TV. The picture and sound crackled again before returning to the local news. The brunette sighed nosily before noticing the masked man behind him. "Aah…" Recognition transformed his face. "It's been a long time."

Kakashi smiled despite the mask covering his face. "Yo."

"You should've called. I would have made more tea if I knew."

"I lost your number." The silver-haired visitor rubbed the back of his head. "Apologies, Yamato."

"Of course, I should've known," Yamato remarked with the tiniest implication of sarcasm. "But I can imagine you're not here to just have some tea for old time's sake."

"We have some catching up to do…"

The two men took a seat at a display table by the storefront and Yamato brought out another cup of his earthy and slightly bitter tea. Kakashi gladly accepted another caffeine boost. Another brass bell chimed, this time from the entrance of the store and an elderly woman shuffled inside. Yamato excused himself to meet with the costumer while Kakashi took his time to admire the expertly polished chairs, cabinets, and bed frames exhibited throughout the shop. It was an art form and a talent that deserved the respect it rarely received, for Yamato Tenzo was a quiet and precariously calm man. He wasn't a showman who required the spotlight or the finishing number; he was an artist who was carefully stationed in the background.

Kakashi was watching his old friend at work, doing what he did best. Despite the skill, it wasn't just his craftsmanship that Kakashi was after; it was the man's deceivingly stoic demeanor that made him perfect for the job. Stressful situations never fazed him and dealing with grouchy old women or finicky shoppers was no exception. He used all the right hand gestures and he had a public-relations smile plastered on his plain face. The woman smiled in return, but waved him off nonetheless. It appeared that the woman wanted to wander around on her own, leaving Yamato to retreat back to the table. He sighed, but he kept a pleasant appearance.

Kakashi spun the teaspoon in the porcelain cup. "You're falling on hard times…"

"People tend to forget that this is a store and not a museum."

"I'd like to change that." Kakashi wasted no time getting to the point. "I want to place a special…_order_."

Yamato smiled to himself, picking up on Kakashi's intonation and use of code. "That's funny, I thought we were strictly retired from that sort of business."

"It seems that new costumers come into town when you least expect it."

"What kind of costumers are we talking about here?"

"The blood-sucking kind."

The practiced woodworker sat back in his hand-made chair and crossed his arms. "Sounds risky."

"It sounds like something you'd be good at," Kakashi countered, drinking his fill.

"Ten years ago, maybe, when we were at our prime."

"30 is not_ past_ our prime, Yamato. It_ is_ our prime. You, of all people, should understand the meaning of experience."

"A ten-year long hiatus is a long one to come back from. Look at us, you're a teacher and I'm a woodworker. What can we possibly do?" he reasoned. "And if you fail, are you willing to face a homicidal clan waiting to tear you limb from limb?"

"I've done it before," Kakashi shrugged with a nonchalant coolness. "And I lived."

"We can't always be lucky."

"I'm not asking for luck," he stated solemnly. "I'm asking for a favor from a man who has been hiding his skills for years. Why are you so willing to spend the rest of your life making tables and chairs and watching mindless people walk in and out of this store without even appreciating your trade? It's a waste."

The bell chimed as the woman exits the store. Another would-be costumer walking out empty-handed. Another reminder of his failing years. Yamato stared at the table and eyed the design etched into the stained, birch wood. All the hard work he has done remained neglected and ignored, left to rot in this rented space for infinity.

'_Maybe it didn't have to be like that anymore_,' he thought. Maybe this job could finally get him out of this downward spiral.

Yamato stood and the seat skidded across the floor. He pulled a key from his pocket, locked the store's entrance, and officially closed the shop to get down to some real, money-making business.

"Since we're on the topic, I have something to show you." Yamato motioned Kakashi over and they arrive behind the counter, standing near an antique rug that Kakashi failed to notice when he first came. Yamato yanked it out of the way and revealed a trapdoor-like opening in the middle of the floor. After turning the key, the door creaked open and they descended down a flight of stairs into an underground cavern.

The wooden stairs screeched terribly and every step felt like it could crack from its weakened and decayed nature. "How long has this place been here?"

"It always has been. Where do you think I get my work done?"

They entered the secret room, and the event of a woodland massacre was evident. Every square inch was covered in wood shavings and unfinished table legs and slabs. Tools were scattered carelessly in some freeing manner. But it was the wall opposite the staircase that caught Kakashi's attention.

A very tall cross hung in the middle of the display. Then, a mass of wooden crossbows, carved with endless perfection. Countless jars of wooden bullets, arranged by penetration ability. And a massive amount of pointed stakes, sharpened and shaped from every type of wood on earth.

A vampire hunter's paradise.

"Ten years…" Kakashi spoke with awe. "You've been busy."

* * *

><p>"…and she was being a little tramp again, but what else is new? And I told her, 'you know what? He is MY date, so <em>back off<em>' and Ami kept bitching and bitching…"

Saying it was hard to concentration would be the understatement of the century. Sakura wanted to listen to Ino's weekly gossip – really, she did – but right now, she was facing a life or death situation. Besides, multi-tasking was never her strong point, but she had to manage avoiding hallway traffic, keeping up with conversation, and figuring out a way to survive, all while trying to navigate her way to the lunchroom. Her friend's high-pitched voice turned hazy and blurred as a deep, ominous one took over Sakura's thoughts.

"_I said I wasn't going to kill you…yet." _

"_So…there's a catch…?"_

"_Isn't there always?" _

"_I don't normally make deals with murderers, so I wouldn't know," Sakura retorted with a surprising amount of sass. Sasuke would be lying through his razor-sharp teeth if he said he wasn't enjoying her audacity. _

"_Then I'll keep this simple." He closed the space between them, but the adrenaline running through her veins was keeping her from feeling afraid. On the bright side, toying with death was certainly exhilarating. _

"_If you give me what I want, I'll let you live." _

"_Okay, simple enough. What do you want then?" _

"_Do you really have to ask?" _

"_Do you really have to answer my questions with more questions?" Sakura raised her voice. Then, she mentally slapped herself. Did she just yell at a vampire?_

"_Because your questions are pointless. Don't ask questions when you already know the answer," he snapped with countering fury. Sakura grumbled nonsense to herself. She finally remembered that this was SASUKE she was dealing with, vampire or not. He was still the narcissistic ass with a short fuse she met a month ago and just when she thought she had him pinned as a rich, pompous pretty boy, he turned out to be a monster. _

_Fabulous. _

"_Fine, but I have a real question that I REALLY don't know the answer to…" _

_Sasuke waited._

"_Why me?"_

"…then I was like, 'I was going to go as YOU for Halloween, but I couldn't fit three dicks in my mouth,' and I swear to God, she was going to flip OUT!_… _Sakura?"

At the sound of her name, Sakura fell out of her daydream. She glanced at Ino who was waiting for a response.

"Oh_… _cool_…_?"

"That's all you have to say? Oh, cool?" Ino sounded annoyed. She flipped her ponytail over her shoulder and everyone knows when Ino Yamanaka does her signature hair flip, real shit goes down. "Ami fucking Slutface is a complete bitch to me at the party, and all you say is _'Oh, cool'_?"

Sakura looked bewildered because to her, that party seemed like a million years ago. She had other things to worry about. She was going to apologize profusely for not listening but Ino already started up a storm. Maybe she just liked hearing her own voice way too much.

"Ugh, whatever! If you don't want to listen, _fine_. But God, I swear, Ami needs to _drop dead. _The world would be a bazillion times better without her."

They approach the lunchroom. The blaring mishmash of limitless conversations escaped from the cafeteria and into the hall. Ino went ahead, but noticed Sakura was glued to her spot.

"Ohhh, I'm not really mad at you. C'mon, Hinata's going to be waiting by herself," Ino said, ready to jump on the lunch line for her daily salad.

"Uhh…Go ahead without me! I really need to go to the bathroom."

"I can go with you! Maybe I can fix my mascara_…_ Hinata can wait. What's five more minutes going to do?"

"N-No, it's fine, really! I'll just see you guys later!"

_I hope._

Sakura turned on her heel and started into a sprint when the school bell rang, signaling the start of her lunch period. Her mind raced and memories of this morning resurface once again.

"_Why me?"_

"_You're going to have to work for that answer." _

"_Oh my god. Nothing is ever easy with you," she grumbled loud enough for him to catch. _

"_I can say the same for you…" His eyes show a flicker of malevolence and Sakura did not fail to catch it. _

_In what seemed like a random act of affection, he reached up to feel a lock of her pretty cherry-colored hair and she doesn't know what to do. The moment was almost intimate, in a twisted sort of manner that only he can produce. Sakura was about to touch him in return, but he let the pink strands fall from his hand before she can get any closer. She could still feel the missed opportunity in the palm of her hand._

_And then she realized there was a part of him that she could never really understand._

"_All you have to do is cooperate with me. Decide by lunchtime today… or I'll decide for you."_

'_I don't have to decide if I'm not in lunch, right Sasuke?'_ she cleverly thought to herself as she pushed the door to the girl's bathroom. It was empty, which worked to her advantage. She didn't need people probing and wondering why she would ever want to spend lunch alone, in the bathroom of all places.

It was time to come up with a strategy. Sasuke was giving her an ultimatum that didn't exactly provide the best of choices. Either she gives up her blood for the rest of her life and _feels_ dead every single time he feeds on her fragile human body or she can give her blood once and just _actually be_ dead and get it over with. After sitting on a toilet for half an hour, she came to a conclusion:

_Shit, they both suck._

Only a measly half hour before lunch ends. _What am I supposed to do?_

.

"1 year of community service?" asked Naruto, rubbing his chin.

"Nope." Kiba shook his head and tossed a golden-brown tatter tot into his mouth.

"5 to 10 years in prison?"

"For underaged possession? Hell nooo. Guess again."

"LIFE SENTENCE?"

"Life sentence for a misdemeanor?" Neji questioned with an eyebrow raised. "That's absurd, why would you even guess that?"

"Iunno, I couldn't think of any more punishments."

"Even _worse_ than a life sentence," Kiba moaned like a dying animal. "The feds called…_the 'rents._"

A group "Ah" could be heard.

"That's rough…," Shikamaru commented on the side and Neji agreed.

"Whaaat? They're your parents, dude. Can't be that bad, right?" asked Naruto, looking perplexed.

"Ha! I forgot, Naruto. You're_ kinda_ new around here. Let me fill you in: My parents are baaad news," Kiba spoke, being quite the storyteller. "Alright so, everyone's all partying, having a good time, you know what's up. Then, BAM, cops come in, everyone scrambles. Turning shit over, throwing bottles, cans, you name it. It was like a riot up in there. And lady luck takes a humongous dump on my face and I see Choji's dad, the chief of motha fuckin' police."

"The police department bothered to send the head of their department to a teenager's Halloween party?" Neji asked rhetorically. "What a waste of taxpayer's money…"

"That goes to show you that NOTHING EVER HAPPENS IN KONOHA!" Kiba exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. Sasuke, who has been sitting at the table without a word, would beg to differ. He sat with his fingers intertwined and his eyes peering over them until he took a quick glance at his watch and turned in his seat. He zeroed in at a lunch table further down the line and noticed obnoxious-blonde and twitchy-Hyuuga girl eating lunch.

Without Sakura.

"He has nothing else to do, so he showed up!" Kiba continued on. "So yeah, he sees Choji and me running around like chickens with our heads cut off and he takes us into the cruiser and I'm already shitting my pants. So, he's said to me 'I know you're a good kid, Kiba, so I'll let you off with a warning. But I'll need to call your folks,' and I'm like 'Fuuuck.' "

Naruto belted out a cackling laugh. "Hahaha, I can imagine the look on your face!"

"At least you weren't arrested," reasoned Shikamaru.

"But I _was_. I was put on house arrest and house arrest IS being arrested. My mom is bat-shit crazy. She was screaming in my face, and was like 'Where did I go wrong with you? Your sister NEVER did anything like this!' and that was because she's like, the poster child for all things good. Now, I'm caged in my room until I'm 50. No phone, no games, no–"

"Where are _you_ going?" interrupted Neji as he watched Sasuke slowly rise from the table.

"Yeah, c'mon Sasuke, I'm in the middle of a story."

Naruto immediately detected the hostile aura emitting from him and it was anything but pretty.

"I'm _hungry_."

.

There were a few minutes left before the end of sixth period and her last two classes were Sasuke-free. She was in the clear… for today. Even if he planned on taking her life tomorrow or the day after that, she just needed to buy as much time as she could. She needed to find a way to defend herself.

_If only I knew what worked against vampires…_

The only thing she knew for sure was that garlic was definitely crossed off the list.

She jumped out of her skin as the bathroom door unexpectedly swung open and two underclassman girls walked in. False alarm. Sakura quickly turned on the sink and pretended to wash her hands. The rushing water served as a backdrop to the girls' conversation.

"You know that Junior everyone's talking about? I heard she's been missing for a while now," said the girl who entered a stall. Her friend was standing at the mirror, leaving a sink in between her and Sakura. She started fiddling with her oversized purse and pulled out some mascara. That seemed familiar.

"Two days isn't a while. She's probably off with some guy! I would've done the same if I was her. The boys in this school are _so_ boring." It really wasn't any of her business, but Sakura rolled her eyes anyway. This girl was a mini-Ino. A gossip and a make-up fanatic.

The toilet flushed and her friend emerged from the stall. "I know, but wouldn't your folks get worried? I heard hers were going to start search party."

"Search party? Exaggeration, much? She's 16, I'm _sure_ she can take care of herself."

A 16-year old Junior who's been missing for a few days…?

'_Sounds like_ _my future,'_ Sakura remarked to herself, grabbing paper towels and dabbing her hands. _'Except, I won't be missing. I'll be straight up dead.'_

"You think she can take care of herself? You don't even know _her name_. How would you–"

Three heads turned to the bathroom entrance and the door slammed open, revealing a very annoyed vampire. The two girls nearly squealed, apparently recognizing the heartthrob instantly. Sakura, on the other hand, felt her heart throb for a completely different reason. All the color drained from her face.

_Fuck my short, disposable life._

The mini-Ino waved frantically. "Hi! I see you _all_ _the time_ and I think you are the cutest guy I've ever seen ever! My name's–"

"Get out."

The insult present on mini-Ino's face would have been priceless if Sakura wasn't too busy trying to think of an escape plan. She watched as the other underclassman courageously steps forward.

What an idiot.

"This is the girl's bathroom, you're not allowed in here!"

"_Get the fuck out_."

The girls scrambled to the door retreated with tails between their legs. The door shut behind him, but Sasuke paid no attention to them – his glared daggers were aimed right at his runaway prey. She backed up into the wall and swallowed hard.

"H-How did you know I was here?"

"You don't get to ask questions anymore."

Not even a second passed and he's already in front of her, towering ominously and pinning her to the wall. The pressure in the room was crushing her lungs. Or maybe it was just his perfect body pressed up against hers…

"I tried being_ nice _to you," he growled dangerously. "And I was being _patient_, but I don't have all fucking day, Sakura…"

The school bell rang.

"…and you're out of time."

His insatiable desires were getting the best of him again and his patience was wearing thin. His palms that were at the side of her face turned into clenched fists. He reached down and his lips gently grazed her earlobe as he whispered to her.

"_I'm starving_."

She could _hear_ his fangs extend from his jaw and it sent chills through her entire being. He inhaled sharply before striking her neck. Then, his slender fangs made contact with her ivory skin and proceed to rip through.

The pain was excruciating.

_It hurts. It hurts. IT HURTS._

The pain made her want to scream but he kept a hand firmly over her lips. Her failed screams turned into muffled whimpers. She thrashed against him with all her might as a provocative, yet satisfied moan erupted from deep within his throat. In a few minutes, she could feel herself weaken.

_I'm dying…_

This was it. The final countdown. Not only was her whole body feeling limp, her head was starting to droop and sway in the most rhythmic motion. It was almost therapeutic… in a sickening sort of way.

_Please. Let this be over. Kill me now._

_Sasuke…_

She could feel her lids growing heavy and slowly blockading the light from the outside world.

"SASUKE!" yelled an enraged voice, followed by the bathroom door crashing open. A yellow flash appeared before her eyes and she felt the fangs prematurely rip out of her skin, sending blood spewing across the mirrors. She struggled to see and her voice was barely audible.

"Na-Naru…to…"

It was Naruto, violently yanking Sasuke by the collar and slamming him against the tile walls. The ceramic crunched and fell apart behind the incredible force. Naruto recognized this. It was the state Sasuke would be in when he would disappear for a while, leaving a trail of shredded, distorted bodies along the way. Naruto would ignore it and turn a blind eye, but that was before Sakura ended up next on Sasuke's hit list. At this point, the Uchiha was a completely different person – he was something sent directly from hell.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" Naruto searched for any shred of humanity left in his eyes.

Nothing.

But the crooked smirk forming on his face.

"Sakura's your FRIEND. Doesn't that mean ANYTHING TO YOU?" roared Naruto, who had his own fangs bared at this point. Her dying eyes, the tear-streaked face… Sakura's never done anything to him. She was innocent, one of the good ones. She didn't deserve this.

No response.

He tightened his grip on Sasuke's shirt and shook him before slamming him into the wall for the second time. The fractures along the tiles deepened and elongated as more pieces crumble to the floor. "Say something, you BASTARD."

He responded with no words. Just sick, demented laughter.

"He's not himself, Naruto," spoke another voice coming up behind her. Gentle, but icy hands held onto Sakura before she dropped to the floor. She turned her head, despite the raging sting from her neck. It was Neji. "This is a new low for you, Uchiha."

…_Naruto? …Neji? _

_Why are they here?_

Everything was so chaotic.

Voices all around her seemed to die out as she felt her grip on reality delicately slip away from the tip of her fingers…

Naruto landed a solid punch aimed at Sasuke's right cheek. His head whipped to the side, taking the full blow to his face. The sound of his bones breaking filled the room. But behind his bangs, Sasuke looked right at her. It was the last thing she saw before her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

The last thing she heard was his voice.

"Sakura…" he whispered so perfectly, for only her ears to hear.

_Please…!_

The pain was slowly fading…ever so slowly.

And everything went black.

* * *

><p>The Ultimatum<p>

.

.

**Please Review. **


	15. The Curiosity

A ribbon of smokescreen faded to reveal the Black Room, shifting and moving to synchronize into a plausible reality. Faint and disoriented, Sakura glanced up, seeing her personified subconscious with his back turned. A crisp pop, the cork jumped from the neck of the bottle. He was pouring yet another glass of signature blood.

Her blood.

"I realized something," she reported, aiming to blurt out any stream of consciousness left in her. "I only end up here when I'm dying… or _dead_."

"Mostly true." He drank and licked his stained lips. "Sometimes your mind wanders here when you're asleep… but that's rare." Dead or not, Sakura still felt the tingles rush under her skin from the irresistible sight. Damn it all. She also noticed he was being quite talkative today – the normal kind of talkative, none of the inauspicious commentary and the hungry look in his eyes. A dream where she wouldn't die for once? That was a change.

"So, am I really dead this time?" Sakura asked, exasperated. "Or are you going to lunge at me AGAIN? It's exhausting being dead one minute and then alive the next, then being on the brink of death five minutes after that. Like, come on, make up your mind." Vehemently, she threw her hands up in the air.

"I feel like… I'm not in control of myself anymore," she added, looking to her counterpart for any sign of sympathy, but in its place, a perilous smile twitched along his lips. Her own nails dug into her skin as her fists tighten. "I'm guessing you know more about this than I do."

"Everyone has secrets, Sakura… The less you know, the better."

Veins throbbing, she stood and slammed her open palms against the table. "Why are you acting like you're protecting me? I never asked anyone to protect me, or to lie to my face, or to play pretend like I'm a five year old who can't handle the truth. I want to know what this so-called 'secret' is. And it's not that much of a secret apparently, because everyone is in on it. But – oh wait – ME."

"Are you _always_ this overdramatic?" He may be talkative today, but at this very moment, it wasn't a good thing. She wasn't getting anywhere! Her face scrunched in anger before lowering herself into her seat.

"Listen," he grunted, massaging his temples. "There are… _secrets _of yours that even you wouldn't want to acknowledge."

"Well, I'm curious. So hit me. I can handle secrets, especially if it's my own, right? What is my _deep, dark secret_ then?" she challenged, but it was no joking matter.

He interlaced his fingers as he planted his elbows on the table. There was something more to this world than the human eye can see. Now that she had a glimpse of this alternate reality, it couldn't be helped – she needed to know. Sakura was no longer a bystander; she was a victim and a survivor. The vampire world pulled her in but every little detail was jumbled up into nonsense. This charade to keep this hidden world a secret was starting to fall apart; pieces of the puzzle were scattering all over the floor.

It was time for them to finally make sense.

"Fine, let's talk."

* * *

><p>[15] The Curiosity<p>

* * *

><p>Sakura opened her eyes and first saw the white ceiling above her head. Bright lights ahead embraced her as she prepared herself for every kind of pain known to man. She tried to sit up, but she did so with ease. The recovery process wasn't as brutal as she expected. Her eyes tried to take in her surroundings. The fog of colors began to clear, showing the faces of those standing around her.<p>

Naruto. "Wow, she _is_ awake!" he spoke with an outdoor voice. She flinched, her ears still sensitive to the noise. Naruto rocked back and forth on his backwards chair. It clanked repulsively against the floor. "How'd you know Sakura'd be okay?"

Neji. "This is not the first time this happened…" His cloudless eyes were downcast and subtly irked for some unknown reason.

Hinata. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, leaning forward. A tender hand touched Sakura's forehead. Sakura was too exhausted to react. "You're warming up… that's good."

Sasuke…? "Where's…Sasuke…?" Her coarse voice sounded foreign to her own ears. The minute she opened her mouth, a fleeting shadow glided out of the room. A slamming door followed.

Then came the awkward silence.

"…"

Naruto curled his hand into a fist and jabbed it against the back of his chair.

"Bastard…" he growled under his breath, but the silence picked up on it and vibrated the words across the room. The world seemed dead for the longest time. Then, Hinata sighed and sat at the edge of the bed.

"We're in the nurse's office. Y-You fainted in the bathroom an hour ago," she said so delicately as if Sakura would've shattered into a million pieces if she spoke otherwise. She could've been telling someone they had every type of cancer in the world, and it would still be okay. Hinata had that kind of influence. "Naruto told me what happened…"

A trace of malice twinkled in sapphire eyes. Sakura never noticed it before and yet it was so familiar. Almost misplaced, considering Naruto was the friendliest person she had ever known.

"How… did you know where we were?" Sakura questioned Naruto, who was still straddling his seat. A stream of questions swarmed in her mind. "And how were you able to get Sasuke off me, because he's really strong and you were able to hold him back too, and you came in so fast…and everything happened so fast, I thought I was going to die… and…"

"_Everyone has secrets, Sakura… The less you know…"_

More pieces were fitting together.

"…_the better."_

"Oh my god."

Her frail human heart skipped a beat. Blood rushed to her head and the crashing ring in her ears was driving her off the edge as it swallowed up every other sound in the space. She looked at the pale, unmoving faces of everyone in the room.

Only one word formed in her mind.

"Vampire… You're a vampire…," she uttered, directed at Naruto. The voice was quiet and cautious, afraid to be right. He didn't answer, but the look on his face gave it away.

It was the guilt that was incriminating.

"Oh my god_._"

It was a truth that would kill her.

"Neji…? Hinata… you too? There's no way… You're all vampires?"

"Hinata's only a dhampir – a half-breed," Neji explained efficiently, ignoring the shock value of her entire revelation. Sakura still had her mouth agape, but he calmly placed his back against the wall and continued on. "We may be vampires, but we're not interested in bringing any harm."

"P-Please don't be afraid. We want to help you," Hinata said with upmost sincerity. She took Sakura's hands in her own and pleaded with her crystal clear eyes. Sakura wanted to pull away, but Hinata had the warmest hands… They still felt so _human_, but…

Her best friend was a dhampir. A half-vampire?

_This can't be happening. _

.

"He's in psycho mode…," Naruto referred to Sasuke as he scratched the back of his head, still uncomfortable with the situation. "And he's being a HUGE pain in the ass."

"How long has he been like this?" asked Neji with a furrowed brow. On the side, Sakura barely made eye contact with the girl holding her hands. It was too much; enough to generate another hysteric episode, but she tried her best to keep the crazy at bay. So far, up was still up and left wasn't right. That was a good sign.

"Like at first, he was being the normal, emo-bastard he is. Then he started gettin' weird," Naruto recalled.

"Weird, _how_? Details, Naruto."

"Weird, like, he'd be gone for hours 'nd hours, and I never knew what he'd be doing. I thought he was writing some sad, kill-yourself poetry in the park or whatever emos do these days. But then he'd come back smelling like blood and guts all the time. And now, he's feeding off his _friends._ That's just wrong! You don't see ME sucking on Kiba, do ya? …W-Wait, you know what I mean." Sakura heard this, but kept quiet, feeling three sets of eyes looking at her. Instead, the bed sheets became her primary focus.

"He can do even worse, Uzumaki… He's out of control."

"It's not like he's not leaving limbs lying around for the whole world to see. He's just feeding… a lot… and on the wrong people. He definitely has a loose screw somewhere in that head of his, but he's not–"

"Gluttony and greed are ultimate sins. Unforgivable. If he keeps acting this way, we will have to report him. At the rate he's going, it's predictable what will happen to him or to us if he slips up. And he _will_ slip up," Neji declared, looking at health posters pinned on the corkboard. Naruto lowered his astringent gaze, but said nothing. Ultimately, Neji was right, but Naruto did not want to acknowledge the sinful path Sasuke chose. Hinata shot her cousin a look, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Report him? The police can't do anything. He's a _vampire_," Sakura thrown in, trying to contribute, trying to feel useful.

"Yeaaaah… but he's not talking 'bout the police, Sakura…"

"The Kages, the proficient leaders of the vampire world. They are the ones who need to be notified. They have the power to keep vampires in check and it's their job to evaluate his sins and they determine his punishment."

"Hahaha! Wait, wait, wait a minute. Am I dreaming?" Sakura murmured with an empty, cynical voice. "Or hallucinating…? Again?"

There was no way this was real. Kages? Leaders of the vampire world? Dhampirs? A vampire subconscious? One vampire was bad enough. But 3 and a half, plus their reigning kings and queens? The room may not be spinning out of control, but her mind definitely was.

_This is just another one of my episodes… _

_Too much crazy for one day, hahaha…_

_Yeah, that's it. _

_This isn't real. This isn't real…_

"It must be a lot to take in… all of a sudden, too," Hinata sympathized, watching the poor girl's face change from fearful to confused to hysterical. Eccentrically, Sakura's eyes darted around the room and the action only made her look even crazier if it were possible. But time was running out and action needed to be taken. Neji needed to come in with a bitter reality check

"You are in the middle of this now, Haruno. If you do not want to accept it, you have Uchiha to blame for every circle of hell he put you through."

The only thing she heard: Blame Sasuke for everything.

_Sounds good to me._

* * *

><p>Kakashi admired the craftsmanship of the crossbow in his hand. The smooth, glimmering finish, the fastened components. He placed the stock against his shoulder and aimed through the aperture sight. All he needed was to load a sharpened stake, and he'd be back in business. He was eager to try it out.<p>

He reached on the shelf for a dark, unpolished stake and loaded it into the bow. He practiced aiming around the room until the trigger went off, accidentally sending the spear whizzing through the air. Yamato, in the line of trajectory, luckily and ungracefully hopped out of the way and threw an uncharacteristic glare at his friend. A droplet of sweat rolled down the masked man's face.

"That was a close one," Yamato said bitterly, taking the crossbow away and dusting it off.

"In my defense, I never used a crossbow before." Kakashi shrugged his shoulders.

"You're losing your touch…"

"Modern hunters use _guns_, Yamato."

"Then wooden bullets can do the trick." Yamato reached and pulled down a jar of his best work. Kakashi held one piece between his fingers. "And be careful."

"Yeah, Yeah…" Kakashi remained passive to his partner's patronizing tone. "They're impressive." Kakashi tossed the bullet in the air and caught it nicely. "But I decided I'm not killing my target just yet. As I'm sure you know, vampires are tribal creatures. When there's one, there's many… And Konoha seems to be crawling with them lately. Did you see the news?"

"Missing persons have gone up all around the city. A mysterious 'animal attack' reported at the medical center. Low 40s for the rest of the week," Yamato recited aloud. With leather gloves snug against his fingers, he measured out pieces of wood. The jar of pellets returned to its spot on the shelf.

"ANBU wouldn't want to hear about this."

"So this became a capturing mission… I might have something in mind…" Yamato pulled more slabs of wood and lined them up against marked dashes on the workbench.

"It could be _risky_," Kakashi joked over the deafening buzzing of the electric saw. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

Yamato looked up from his impending masterpiece. A complex contraption was in the making. A special order for the ex-hunter. "I'll do what I can…"

Kakashi patted his partner on the back.

"That's all I can ask for."

* * *

><p>"Feel better, Sakura!" Naruto called before closing the door behind him. Usually, words like those were empty gestures, but coming from Naruto, they seemed to have an honest quality to them, even if by nature he was technically a cold-blooded killer. Meanwhile, Neji walked out a few seconds earlier, leaving the girls alone together to mend the fabric of their friendship.<p>

"Hm, are you well enough to go to drawing class? Ms. Kurenai is probably wondering where we are," Hinata stated, taking Naruto's old seat. Even if they were missing their last period of the day, Sakura couldn't help but feel empty. She understood that their vampiric nature was a secret that was never meant to come out, but when it did, it still hurt like a burning knife.

It was betrayal.

Her friend, a half-breed vampire. A person like Neji, an upperclassman she was never really close to, wasn't expected to reveal something of this magnitude. A person like Naruto, a kid she met a month ago, wasn't expected so share such secrets. But her best friend, someone she would have trusted with her life, would instead jump at the chance to take her life away… because she was a dhampir. Because she was a killer, a bloodsucker, a monster.

Like Sasuke.

Sure, Hinata's favorite color may still be the same and she still plays the violin and the piano like a musical goddess, but things were different now. At the same time, could Sakura really expect her friend to just say "Nice to meet you, I'm a bloodsucker"? Sweet, quiet, thoughtful Hinata Hyuuga. This was going to take some time to get used to.

"I think I'm okay… but I don't see the point in going to class when there's only 10 minutes left anyway," she mumbled quietly. Sakura wanted to pretend everything was okay because sometimes, it worked. Sometimes, things ended up just fine and she would just over-think everything and get stressed over nothing. But right now, she failed miserably.

"That's true…" Hinata checked the clock. "I think this is the first time I skipped class." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood, and she was so deceiving. Her smile was too friendly to belong to a vampire or anything remotely vampire-related.

"How are you so calm?" Sakura questioned, preoccupied by her anxiety to focus on affable conversation. "Aren't you… _hungry_? Don't you want to kill me, too? Apparently, I'm on the menu."

Hinata had such a childlike innocent imbedded in her laughter. "No, Sakura. We're not all like that. I'm… not much of a b-blood drinker anyway..." She almost sounded ashamed and Sakura picked up on it right away much to her relief.

'_So, Hinata isn't much of a killer either…_,' she thought perceptively. Not very vampire-like. For a minute, the anxiety turned into curiosity. It was a curse.

"Is that _bad_? How do you… feed then…?"

"I don't. I just eat… I still eat cookies, chicken nuggets, human food. I don't really need blood like Neji or Naruto do." Her words were apprehensive, but not in the cowardly way, it was like she was worried to reveal too much. But at this point, all cards were on the table.

"Right, because you're only half… I guess that makes sense. Have you ever tried it before? Blood, I mean."

"U-Uhm…yes. A few times… but it just tastes like _blood._ Iron-y and dirty…mmm, I-I didn't like it." Hinata stuck out her tongue and made a revolted face. Sakura laughed because Hinata always did that when she was grossed out. It was funny to see her act like herself because it was so unexpected after all that has happened. Hinata was just being Hinata.

"Do vampires need sleep?"

"I need to sleep, but full-vampires don't really need to."

"So Naruto and Neji?"

"…sleep about once a week."

"I see… By the way, does garlic do anything?"

"Um, no… except it makes your breath smelly." Hinata smiled.

"Hahaha, okay, I was just checking."

They laugh lightheartedly and the mood in the room lifted slowly, but surely. Talking was so simple. Laughing was so simple. But everything else wasn't.

"So, what parts of you _are_ vampire-ish? Do you have superpowers or something?"

"Ahh let's see…" Hinata placed a finger on her chin and looked towards the ceiling. "I have a pretty good sense of hearing, but fulls have it better and my sense of smell is normal…"

Sakura nodded her head and urged her on.

"U-Um, generally, we don't age_._ Physically we DO age, but very, very, _very_ slowly. Mentally, we stay the same, like… no dementia or other ailments like that when you're old. And also when you're physically old, you get wrinkles, but your bones are still strong if you feed correctly…But it will take _a long_ time to get old in the first place."

"Wow. That's… wow. So, even before you moved here, you looked _exactly_ the same?" Sakura asked, never really noticing any changes in Hinata since they met.

"F-For the most part, yes, but I n-never moved here," nervously, Hinata stuttered. "… I actually lived in Konoha my whole life… and undead-life I guess you can say..."

"In our freshman year, you said you just moved in."

"Three years ago, I decided to go back to high school after a really long time, after all my peers graduated and a lot of the teachers changed. I-I just said I moved here to explain why no one has ever seen me before. So, I _was _new, but not new in town... i-if you know what I mean."

Sakura's uptight expression did show that she knew exactly what Hinata meant. The dhampir looked ashamed and withdrawn after opening her mouth.

"I'm s-sorry I lied…"

After realizing how tense she got, Sakura softened. "No, I understand… You had to lie. You had to protect yourself, right? You didn't really have a choice…" Her words were speaking logic, but her emotions were on a whole other level. "I guess you're more of a liar than I thought you were. What else are you hiding from me?" Sakura teased, trying to see past Hinata's potentially-homicidal half. It was almost working.

"I-I suppose so. I didn't know you were so interested," Hinata pointed out.

"I like knowing about things that might end up killing me. I mean vampires in general, not you, Ms. Vegan."

Hinata smiled at the nickname. "Mmm, is that why you want to be a doctor?"

"Sure, but enough about me. I thought you said you've never seen Sasuke before." Jokingly, Sakura glared ahead.

"Sorry…" Hinata giggled lightly, but blushed from being caught in another lie. "We grew up together…" she said, staring off into the distance. "…but I really don't _know_ Sasuke. I still don't. We were never really friends… He was close to Naruto for a while, and Neji, too… but even then, he started to push them away after…" It was depressing just talking about it.

"He went insane?" Sakura blurted frankly, and Hinata lost the gloominess in her face.

"…I-It's not something we really talk about."

Sakura had so many questions left for Hinata, but to have them all answered would take another year or so. Some about her past, her life, Sasuke. Mostly about Sasuke.

"Hinata," Sakura called solemnly, "Do you think… Sasuke hates me?"

Hinata gathered her books together, noticing the time. She stood and said in the most confident voice she could ever muster:

"… I don't think anyone can ever hate you, Sakura. Especially Sasuke."

.

With Naruto back in class for the remainder of the day, Neji ventured off on his own in search for a certain fugitive. His eyes closed for a moment only to reopen as translucent, all-seeing orbs. Throbbing veins appeared at his temples as he concentrated with all his might. His treasured Hyuuga bloodline: the Byakugan. In an instant, he saw the ins and outs of every hallway, classroom, and bathroom within the whole school. In an instant, he searched through every aisle of books and computers in the library.

In an instant, he found him.

Neji approached and saw his target leaning against a bookshelf with an enormous book in hand.

"Uchiha."

"…Hyuuga."

"Enjoying your reading?" he mocked, fully composed.

"According to _The Paranormal Archives__**,**_ eating pickled pig's feet cures the curse of vampirism…," Sasuke humored him and snapped the book shut. "If only."

"What happened to you? You're losing your mind, Uchiha..."

"I'm fine," he offered, slipping the book into its rightful spot. "I have Sakura to thank for that." His expression was smug. Even so, Neji observed his calmer front and deemed him sane enough to converse with. Meanwhile, Sasuke stood idle, waiting for the bombardment of accusations.

"We know you were the one who originally tried to kill her."

"That's old news."

"So, you're aware of her… _condition._" It wouldn't strike Neji as shocking if Sasuke figured out Sakura's undying nature for himself. He was considered a protégé in his own clan, after all, even if his intellect was more recently blinded by bloodlust.

"Aa," was all he said.

"So why are you constantly going after her? Clearly, you can't kill her by feeding." Neji squinted his eyes in concentration.

"I never said I was trying to kill her."

"…Then what's your objective?"

They heard the final school bell. Sasuke slung his backpack over his shoulder and was impatient to leave. He was peeved by everyone trying to interfere with his perverted fixation on Sakura Haruno. Why couldn't they just mind their own business? Neji, another annoyance, stood in the way. They stare each other down, neither one willing to back out.

"Stay out of my way," Sasuke hissed, finally shoving passed him and leaving the library. Neji stood there, unsure of what to do next because behind the irritated tone and usual temper, Sasuke seemed…

…completely fine.

He was not the same person he was a few hours ago. He wasn't laughing like a psychopath; he was keeping up with conversation. He didn't seem consumed by his mind-altering thirst and he definitely wasn't hiding behind stacks of books to feed on another innocent person like Neji originally theorized.

Was he really back to normal?

_Maybe Sakura really does have a positive effect on him._

.

Sakura turned the dial on her lock and it opened, no thanks to dancing numbers or melting metal. She cheered to herself, taking the smallest victory to top off this hellhole of a school day. She looked forward to a calming afternoon at home since Shizune explicably stated that she was not allowed anywhere near the hospital for at least a week.

"_Think of it as a vacation,_" the physician had said before Sakura was discharged_. "You can always make up the hours later, but you really need time to rest."_ Sakura accepted the arrangement because rest sounded so damn good at the time.

The livelihood in the whole school was wiped away as soon as the final bell went off. Standing alone, she reached into her locker. The empty messenger bag was stuffed with folders and binders needed for the day's homework and its burlap strap felt heavy on her shoulder. With her purse and coat in hand, she reviewed the checklist in her head for other work she needed. Satisfied, she closed her locker, but yelped when she glanced to her side.

Sasuke, coolly leaning against the lockers.

Her throat went dry, and yet she was uncertain of how to feel. Aggravated because this prick tried to kill her, TWICE. Stunned because she didn't really expect him to want more of her so soon. A little excited because this WAS the Sasuke she was pining over and a part of her still really liked his presence... even if it did freak her out a bit, strangely enough. He stood straight and they looked at each other for what felt like an eternity of seconds before Sakura decided to take matters into her own hands.

She raged and stomped away.

"Sakura," he called, swiftly pivoting on his heel and catching her wrist. "We need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you." Sakura tugged and tried reclaiming her hand, but her efforts were unrewarding. "LET. ME. GO." She thrashed her arm around, but he had an iron grip. The anger was rising to her face and her cheeks swelled with pink. Despite the whirlwind of emotion, it was wonderfully natural to be mad at Sasuke Uchiha. He just made it so easy.

Sakura huffed after nearly separating her arm from the rest of her. Sasuke looked on, bored. "Are you done?"

"…I …hate you," she stated through jagged breaths.

"No… you don't." The vampire towered over her, but his demeanor was not in its usual terrifying glory – it had a slight tinge of remorse and humanity hidden somewhere and for the first time, Sakura felt it. She stood still, not quaking in fear or fidgeting hysterically, and guardedly engulfed herself in his smell and his presence. "I'll take you home," he said.

Trying to force a stern exterior, Sakura responded, "I have feet, thanks. I can walk home just fine," but her act wasn't very convincing. Replacing hostility, his murderous hand tenderly caressed a lock of her hair and every ounce of reasoning simply evaporated from her pretty little head. Damn it, why was he doing this to her? Her life was confusing enough before he stepped in and ruined everything. Cloud nine was just in her reach when incoming footsteps broke her from her trance.

"Don't think that I forgot about your detention, Ms. Haruno."

Mr. Kakashi walked by and unlocked the door to his classroom. He held his arm out, welcoming her to two hours of mindless torture. "Detention for the rest of the week, starting now." In a second, she fell from her heavenly trance and she looked at him in disbelief.

_Did he come in to school just to give me detention?_

He was still wearing a winter coat and gloves.

"Well, looks like I'm not even going home…," she sighed and detected the irked expression on Sasuke's face.

"I'll go with you," he declared, walking at her side.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "To detention? Why?"

He doesn't answer, he just stared straight ahead.

_Okay then._ Sakura kept her head down in shame as she walked into the classroom. The teacher blocked off her other half from entering alongside her.

"I don't remember giving you detention." Kakashi innocently tilted his head; Sasuke didn't like the way he looked at him. "Unless you there is something I should know about?"

"I'm the one who cheated on the test, not Sakura."

"Really? Is that why Sakura's handwriting looks like… Sakura's handwriting? Nice try, Sasuke, but I wasn't born yesterday." Sasuke cursed to himself and now realized that copying her script was counterproductive. Kakashi crossed his arms. Sakura watched uncomfortably from the sidelines. Sasuke was internally fuming. In a switch of pace, he took a step forward in a condescending manner and narrowed his eyes. His voice was sharp and serious.

"Fuck yourself, Kakashi." He always wanted to say it. There was something about him he didn't like and his instincts were never wrong.

"Sasuke!" A scolding voice erupted with Sakura standing at the doorway. _What the hell is the matter with you!_

With a sigh, Sasuke's rigid appearance calmed and he cracked a cocky smile. "Now do I get detention?"

The girl breathed quietly to herself, getting worked up over nothing because he was just acting, or at least, that's what it seemed like. A crinkle appeared on Kakashi's mask as he smiled in return.

"I can see right through you, Sasuke." The vampire picked up on the innuendo and speculated on what else this masked man could possibly see. He definitely had some secrets of his own. "Again, nice try. Now, excuse me while I do my job."

Of a mere high school math teacher? Suspicious.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke before falling back into her well-deserved penitentiary. Throwing herself into the nearest desk, she pouted, wondering why Sasuke got to walk free when he was an accomplice to her crime.

'_My luck…,'_ she moped. '_It's nonexistent._'

Just when Kakashi was about to close the door and lecture about the villainous path of dishonesty, a clamorous siren went off. Sakura threw her hands against her ears and they both rushed into the hallway. An orchestra of lights from the alarms began flashing in harmony. In the midst of it all, they witnessed Sasuke with his hand on the nearest fire alarm, going through all this trouble just to get detention.

With Sakura.

.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Sakura took the seat next to Sasuke in the front row. They were in dead center, right in front of Kakashi's desk. "And for the record, I am asking seriously."

"I thought you had nothing to say to me," he countered arrogantly.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was on the phone with the main office. "False alarm… Yes, I found the kid who did it…That won't be necessary… Uh huh… I have it covered…"

"So why'd you do it?" Sakura whispered.

"To talk to you. Alone," he whispered back.

"But Mr. Kakashi's still here. And whatever you have to say is it really that important? Is it worth getting a year of detention?"

"I don't care about that." Sasuke looked at her from the corner of his eye. "But you. I need to talk to you… about what you know."

Sakura tuned in.

"And I need you to stop running away." He sounded pissed. "It's annoying."

"Then can you stop trying to kill me? That's kind of annoying, too."

"I wasn't going to kill you."

"Oh yeah? That's why I ended up in the nurse's office, right?"

"Ahem." Kakashi sat in front of them and ended their hushed argument. "Falsely triggering the fire alarm is a serious offense. Fines, penalties, jail time. Not a smart move on your part, Sasuke." He placed his feet up and leaned back in his chair. "I thought you knew better."

No comeback. Sakura found it out of character because he always had something quick to say. He was being extremely inspective, watching Kakashi's every move, waiting for him to slip up. Waiting for him to lose the mask.

"Luckily, I decided that detention might be the best option. I can keep an eye on you… and Sakura too, of course."

'_Yay, I'm unforgotten,_' Sakura thought disdainfully when her mouth quickly grinned and dropped back into a straight face.

Sasuke kept a straight face the entire time.

"Now, detention. You got what you wanted," Kakashi said to Sasuke, grabbing a novel from his desk drawer and making himself comfortable. With one eye, he read, never straying from his book. "Satisfied?"

Turning his head, Sasuke eyed the pink-haired girl sitting next to him. She glanced at the clock above his head and sighed, dreading the wasted time in detention and the ugly blemish on her permanent record. She looked worried, bothered, and a bit weary. Her hair was vaguely tangled after hours of lying in bed and her skin was rosy from the blood pooling under her skin.

Despite all of it, she looked… appealing.

"…I am."

.

The whole plan backfired. Kakashi eventually separated them after their whispers annoyed him to no end. They sat on opposite sides of the room: one desk against the window, another desk against the wall. Complete silence. Complete boredom.

'_Of course I'm the one who gets to stare at the wall.'_ Sakura leafed through her binders looking for anything to do, but all her assignments were in the textbooks lying around at home. Maybe if she still had her cellphone, she could have found something to do, but alas, fate worked against her. Defeated, she closed the flap of her bag and dropped it to the floor. In another hour, she could leave, but for now, she decided a nap was the best and only option. Sakura folded her arms for makeshift pillows. Putting her head down, her mind replayed the subconscious vision she had this morning.

"_Fine, let's talk, but we can't talk for long."_

"_Why? I'm not in a hurry and it's not like you have anywhere to go."_

"_Tch, you weren't knocked out for long. You'll wake up any minute now and don't tell me I didn't warn you."_

"_Okay, you were right, happy? Sasuke did end up attacking me… again. But I still don't get why I'm not dead yet."_

"_He held back."_

"_That's funny because it didn't feel like it." _

"_He spared you. Ask him yourself. It's only a rumor if you don't hear it from the source."_

"_Go ask him so I can die again? Yeah, no thanks. He didn't hold back the first time, so I'm going to assume he's waiting in the shadows for the right time to finish me off." _

"_You're right, he didn't hold back the first time. You should've stayed dead. But you didn't and there's a reason for that. And if you want to live to hear it, I suggest you wake up. You're not safe."_

He was right. She wasn't safe.

And that was when she woke up in the nurse's office. And that was when she learned that the vampire world was bigger than just Sasuke. There was Naruto, Neji, Hinata, maybe even their families, their friends, their "Kages". She was surrounded by vampires. This whole town was teeming with them. The truth frightened her.

"Mr. Kakashi," she called. How much time has passed, she didn't know, but she lazily picked up her head and turned towards the front of the room. "Do you believe in vampires?"

"…Why do you ask, Sakura?"

"Mm, I don't know. I'm just curious."

Kakashi placed his book down and sat properly in his seat. "Did you ever hear of the saying 'curiosity killed the cat'?"

"I have…"

"It means sometimes curiosity does more harm than good. You learn secrets you never expected to learn and once they're inside you, they're tied to you forever. A secret like that can change a person, Sakura, for better or, more often, for worse. There are some things that are never meant to be made public. Secrets are secrets for a reason and maybe that's something to keep in mind the next time you become _curious._"

"…"

"But to answer your question, no, I don't believe in life-sucking parasites that crawl around at night," he smiled despite the resentment dripping from every word. "That's just silly."

"…O-Okay thanks…" Sakura stiffly moved in her seat to face the wall. '_Maybe it's a sensitive topic for him…'_

For the time being, Sasuke tensed in his seat until a tiny buzzer went off on Kakashi's desk. It was the end of detention. Sakura rubbed her eyes and couldn't believe how fast time flew. She saw Sasuke stand and tilt his head towards the door, signaling her to join him outside. He disappeared into the hallway without a word and Sakura was willing to go after him to settle their arguments.

"Sakura." But Kakashi always managed to get in the way. "I need your parents to sign this so they know you failed and _possibly_ cheated." A red pen defaced her paper even more. He then handed her the dreaded failing mark and she fought every urge to rip it up and throw it back in his face.

"Fine…," she groaned and pulled out a folder. A gloved hand stopped her from just sliding it in a pocket and forgetting about it until later. The unexpected grab shocked her awake.

"I _really_ need your parents to _look it over_ as soon as possible." Desperation was in his voice. "Do you understand?"

"Y-Yeah," she breathed out, sensing the urgency. "I-I'll get it to them as soon as possible…"

"…Good." He returned to his seat and gave her a warning look before she walked out. She took a second to give her test a once over and devised some kind of ploy to tell her mom why she failed a Trigonometry test of all things. But it wasn't the familiar cross-outs and slashes that she was worried about. And it wasn't the giant, blotchy zero that was eating at her. In rushed scribbles, a note appeared at the top corner of her test. She felt a lump in her throat as she read it to herself.

_You're not safe._

.

They walked with a good distance between them as they neared the parking lot. Konoha High was already deserted and every footstep sounded like an explosion in the silence. There were stray announcements spewing from the loudspeaker, but it was hard to pay attention to anything else when a murderer was walking less than a few feet away.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't."

"But should I? Because I really want to… but I don't really know what you're capable of," Sakura lowered her voice to a dismal whisper. "I don't know when you'll go berserk and try to eat me or when you'll be… nice? If that's what you call it."

The biting cold embraced them as they leave the warmth of the building. A black, yet glowing vehicle sat in dazzling sunshine that was swiftly falling behind heavy clouds. They slowly made their way towards it.

"I want to feel safe." Sakura waited for any sign of life coming from Sasuke, but she only received silence. "Can you say something?"

He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and the headlights twinkled at the touch of a button. The doors glided vertically to open and Sakura suddenly found herself speechless as well. She has seen his car before, but it was a God-given miracle up close. The Oto-Viper, a stunning sports car, was sitting in the shady, dim parking lot of Konoha High School. It didn't belong here. It was too beautiful to be brought down by the crumbling brick walls and smoggy air.

"Get in."

Judging the incoming weather, she did was so without argument but clearly with hesitation, not wanting to ruin the upholstery. She gaped at the multitude of shiny buttons, facets, and knobs in between the driver and passenger seat. The time glowed in a vibrant red along with other numbers and dials that she didn't understand. Everything looked state-of-the-art…and expensive. But it wasn't the price tag that was making her queasy.

"I…think I should walk home," she considered, moving restlessly in her seat. She eyed the ominous skies, threatening to release rain at any moment.

Sasuke stepped into the driver's seat and pulled his door down. With two hands firmly on the wheel, he started up the engine and it roared to life.

"Too late."

The car doors locked and the entire vehicle charged forward. Sakura sank into the leather cushions and her eyes went wide at the incredible speed Sasuke dared to drive at on a busy city street. He swerved through traffic like a daredevil and when they reach a red light, the breaks caused Sakura to jolt forward and nearly tumble through the windshield.

"Whoaa-ooh my god! Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Not at the moment. Wear your seatbelt."

"Right…seatbelt. Good idea… Sasuke, it's not going in."

"It's a seatbelt, Sakura. It's not rocket science."

"Can you just help me put it on?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and leaned over, brushing against her. A tight knot formed in her chest and her heart began to beat a mile a minute; the driver was keen enough to pick up on it. His lips curved into a sanctimonious smile and he effortlessly pulled on the belt to click it into place.

"What would you do without me?" he commented conceitedly. Sakura, with her heart still pumping rapidly, blushed and leaned alongside the water-soaked window keeping the rain at bay. Her mind listed a thousand things she could do without the glorious aid of her knight in deadly armor, but nothing on that list compared to just having him around. As weird as it was, his company was pleasant when he wasn't being a homicidal sociopath.

After a moment of silence, Sakura started conversation. "So…you weren't going to kill me? I'm sorry to say, but that's hard to believe."

"It was only an experiment."

"An experiment? And what if that experiment went wrong? I would appreciate it if you treated my life with more respect than that." Sakura glowered at him, but he kept his gaze on the road ahead.

"…I'm willing to," he bargained, but it caught her off guard.

"Really?"

"Personally, I prefer having you alive."

"Wow, me too! What are the chances of that?" Sakura remarked sarcastically. "So what kind of experiment were you conducting? ...Do I even want to know?"

"If you're curious." They decelerated at another red light, but the view from the windshield was distorted with the falling rain. The pitter-patter of the raindrops tapped endlessly against the roof above their heads. The wipers glided across the glass, but the rivulets kept meandering down and making it hard to see outside. Without the ability to see or hear anything beyond the vehicle, the car became an isolated sanctum.

"You're alive," he stated rather obviously. "I don't know why or how. But the only thing I confirmed is that you can't die from being fed on."

Sakura sat at the edge of her seat because this was the first time she ever heard of this. She was uncertain of how to digest this kind of information because it was strange learning about herself from someone else. Especially learning about her specialized immortality. "…And you're 100% sure about that?"

"Positive… On Halloween, I thought you were dead," he spoke in a dark tone, gripping the steering wheel. "And then you came back."

A memory resounded in the back of her head.

"_You should've stayed dead. But you didn't and there's a reason for that."_

"So you tried again…," she muttered.

"To experiment. I wanted to see your recovery for myself. I assumed the recovery time was proportional to the amount of blood taken. And if I were to completely drain you, it would have wasted another couple of days. I'm sure you don't look forward to another stay at the hospital." The way he talked about her death, so evenly and calculated, troubled her.

"So, you held back…?"

"I did."

"_He spared you."_

It seemed that the voice inside her head was right all along. _'My subconscious understands Sasuke a lot better than I do…,'_ she concluded. A sickness began to boil in the pit of her stomach. _'I wonder why.'_

"You survived on your own…"

She sounded a bitter laugh. "And you honestly think I'd know why? I barely get what's going on as it is."

The car bended around a curve and they begin traveling deeper into the suburbs. House after house disappeared behind them and the streetlamps lit the way. The sound of the rain mixed with the purr of the engine and the beat of her heart that was loud enough for both of them to hear.

"What else do you know?"

* * *

><p>Eyes closed, she counted to 10.<p>

Very slowly, very relaxed.

Her mind replayed the day and tried to take in everything at once. The flashes of deceptive lies, the mysteries of an unforeseen truth, and every little detail lost along the way. Everything, everything. Overwhelmed, she only made it up to 3.

Her eyes snapped open and she saw the ceiling of her bedroom. Not a hospital room, not the nurse's office. She sat up, alone and without pain. No vampires, no doctors, no visitors. Alone, and for once, it didn't shake her. It was close to peaceful, the feeling of finally seeing through the charade. A foreboding stillness encased her, but she wasn't willing to fight it anymore.

Vampires were her life now, ever since she sold her soul to a monster less than a few minutes ago.

_Everything she knew was lingering in the air. "I told you everything I know."_

"…_Then I want to make a deal with you. Properly this time." _

"_What kind of deal?" _

Sakura brushed her teeth and blankly stared at the reflection in the bathroom mirror. There was an unfamiliar glint in her eye that she frightened her. She knew who it belonged to, that darkness lurking inside her mind. Was it finally making its way outside into the real world? Could her fragile, human mind no longer contain it? She decided to stare at the sink instead.

"_I want your blood."_

_Speechless. _

"_You can have whatever you want in return." _

Blood. In the sink. She spat out a wad of bubbling toothpaste combined with a dash of pink. It was so fascinating watching it inch towards the drain as if it had a life of its own. It disappeared with the rushing water.

"_My life would be a good start… and the truth. I want to know everything."_

"_Everything?" _

"_Everything."_

A transaction that would feed both of their desires. His bloodlust. Her curiosity.

She can't die. What an amazing discovery. She can't die. What variations of relief should she be feeling right now, she didn't know. If there were other ways she could die, she didn't know either. But what she did know was that letting the life get sucked out of her didn't count as a death wish. In one afternoon, Sasuke's inner demons became harmless.

But did that mean Sasuke was harmless?

"_You better cooperate with me this time."_

"_Or what? You'll kill me?"_

"_I can find a way." _

She didn't doubt him on that. Sasuke was still the charming prince with a demonic side. He was obsessive, explosive, and compulsive. Dangerous, psychotic, guarded. No one could get through to him and he never reached out all the same. And yet, that was just okay.

"_Can I trust you?"_

"_You have my word." _

_She takes it to heart. _

Her heart. What happened to it? Once frightened beyond belief, it grew to accept Sasuke for who he is and what he is, but it wouldn't stay silent. She had a craving that was so bad, it nearly rivaled his. Was it infatuation or teenage compulsiveness? A typical Romeo and Juliet? It was no longer a shallow fixation with a beautiful face, a gorgeous body. It was his twisted sense of humor, his absolute presence, the way he made her feel…

Alive.

A life that was moving with dreary mundanity – school, friends, volunteer, rinse and repeat – suddenly became colorful with an abnormal amount of red. It sent tingles through her entire body just thinking about it. Thinking about him. It drove her off the edge. But a good-kind of edge, not the crazy-kind of edge, she told herself.

"_Good night, Sakura."_

"_Wait, just one more question before I go… How did you know where I lived?"_

_He smirks and looks away. "I'll see you tomorrow." _

God, his smirk. Maybe it _was _the crazy-kind of edge. Because the whole entire world could tell her she wasn't safe, that he was all wrong for her, that everything was doomed to fail, but she wouldn't listen. Maybe all the anxiety and fear she used to feel morphed into a corrupted sort of love that started to seep from every pore of her body. Maybe she was foolish in every sense of the word and if there was any she had to blame, or thank, it would be Sasuke. She would blame Sasuke for everything.

This light, freeing sensation. Feeling infinite. It was all Sasuke's fault. How long would it last?

She turned out the lights and snuggled under the blankets. She could still hear the rain splashing against the ground and it only made her think of him. She had so many questions and so little answers. And tonight, she would fall asleep with all of these questions in mind.

Soon, her nighttime companion sat next to her face and swished its tail.

"Hina, do you know what it's like to be in love?" Sakura saw the reflective glow in the feline's eyes. They were illuminated and hypnotic and they were mirrors to her life. Sakura was no longer in the dark, the truth was shining. She was no longer scared, but still caught in a wishful trance.

Everything felt so surreal.

"…Because I think I do."

* * *

><p>The Curiosity<p>

.

.

**Please Review.**


	16. The Apology

_I like the rain. The sound of it. The feel of it. _

_It's refreshing._

With a morning bowl of cereal to keep her company, Sakura stood on the porch during the downpour. Countless, miniature waterfalls were cascading from the roof and onto the garden below. Before she knew it, it was time to go to school. The bowl reached the dishwasher. She threw on a coat and was out the door.

_I know running around without an umbrella isn't the smartest thing to do, but I love feeling the water drench my face, my hair. It's like every worry washes away. _

_Every sin disappears._

_Like magic._

The sky was a somber grey and the winds were getting colder, tossing around the tassels of her hair bit by bit. But her mind was clear as day.

_Rainy days have such a bad image._

The sky opened up and the rain pounded even harder. Her clothes clung to her like a second skin, growing heavier and heavier with every step she took.

_It's like the sunny days are the good guys, the rainy days are the bad – a common misconception. Most people are too swayed to see it any other way. _

Her boots splashed against the little lakes forming on the uneven sidewalk. She faced the weeping heavens and exhaled with her entire body. Somewhere in the sea of clouds, angels were crying out of joy or sadness, their tears splashing down onto the Earth. A much-needed calm rushed over her.

_But I do._

Out of the blue, a car horn thrusted her out of the meditative state. Her thick, soaked bangs whipped painfully against her face as she faced the source of the sound.

_Because I like the rain, the clouds, the puddles. _

_The mystery, the darkness._

The heavily tinted windows rolled down and unveiled the sole reason she learned to enjoy the rain. She smiled brightly at him even whilst knowing he wasn't the type to return it. Without any further instruction, she ran to the other side of the car and her saturated clothes squished against the passenger seat. The wet sound caused him to make a face and she laughed at the man who barely showed any emotion. In the rare moments when he did, it was for her to see.

_I want to say I'm tired of the sun, the warmth, the bright, shining days. But I don't think that's the problem here…_

"No umbrella?"

"Mm, I don't like umbrellas."

"You'll get sick."

"Mm, you're being so thoughtful today."

"..."

She slyly watched his passive features and giggled; he was back to his stone-cold appearance. She leaned back in her seat and enjoyed the oddly comfortable silence between them. Considering all they've been through, it was something to be treasured.

_Because sometimes, you can't help but fall for the bad guy. _

_And I've fallen._

_Hard._

* * *

><p>[16] The Apology<p>

* * *

><p>"Why are you smiling so much?" Sasuke commented, leaning his cheek against the palm of his hand.<p>

It was raining. He was right in front of her. What more could she want?

"It's a free country, she can smile as much as she wants!" argued Naruto, nodding his head and crossing his arms.

"Exactly. And smiling is good for you, Sasuke," Sakura agreed. "Maybe you should try it sometime." She spun around in her seat to face the chalkboard after delivering her line, smiling self-righteously. Naruto laughed aloud from his seat next to Sasuke who ignored the mockery.

Sakura gazed out the window, seeing the rain pounding against the glass. It made her content despite the muggy atmosphere surrounding the school. The mud tracked along the hallways. The ceilings leaked in parts of the school. Everyone seemed to hate it.

In the parking lot, car beams flashed beyond the wall of raindrops and for a minute, she wondered if it's their missing teacher.

"When's Kakashi getting here? He's like 30 minutes late!" Naruto yelled to no one in particular. Sakura sulked in silence. If anyone deserved detention, it should have been Mr. Kakashi Hatake, considering he's been coming in late more often than not.

"It a good thing he's not here…no work," Shikamaru hummed from his head-down position. He tried to catch some sleep, but he was unsuccessful. The entire classroom was in a state of anarchy without an adult present. The students were flicking paper footballs, texting on phones, and drawing crude pictures on the board, in textbooks, and every desk they could get their hands on. In a matter of minutes, the supposed "best and brightest" students of Konoha High turned into the rabid animals at the local zoo.

"Ah well! Works for me." And Naruto decided to join them. Binders tumbled to the floor when he swept his desk clean. He then pulled out a music player, shoved the earphones in, and cranked up the tunes. It would have been completely fine if he didn't have to sing along with every lyric to every song on every playlist. It would have made even more sense if the windows shattered and caved in.

Sasuke heaved out a distraught sigh as he scrolled through a webpage on his phone. Sakura, on the other hand, studied the madness. Shikamaru, miraculously out like a light. Naruto, rocking out to some catchy music. Sasuke, on the internet via mobile device. Humans and vampires doing completely normal, everyday things. It was weird.

They blend in so well.

"I'm excited," she announced, leaning over Sasuke's desk. "Actually, I don't know if _excited_ is the right word…" He looked at her for a brief second before going back to his phone.

"About?"

"Our _transaction_," she beamed at him. She was practically bouncing in her seat in eager anticipation. "I have so many questions to ask you."

"Che," he sounded, giving her his full attention. It's been a few days since the plan's original proposal and he hasn't snacked on anything since. He was saving his appetite.

"When can we start?"

.

They had five minutes until the next bell.

"Where are we going?" Sakura tried to keep up as they paced against the flow of traffic. Sasuke was expertly dodging the incoming students, leading the way. She noticed the faces of her classmates, heading towards AC History like properly-behaved scholars. She almost wanted to hang her head in shame. Cheating on tests, skipping classes, tardiness. What was happening to her? She used to be such a good girl.

The arm reaching out reminded her why she was getting into these bad behaviors in the first place.

"In here." The vampire yanked her out of the crowd and she stumbled through the doors. She recognized this place and spoke, confused.

"The library? You know we're gonna be late, right?"

"It'll only take a minute."

With a tight hold on her arm, he continued to pull her in some unknown direction. Sakura fumbled over herself in attempts to keep up with his pace. The demented gleam in his eyes was making her nervous, but he was eager after trying to keep his inner demons at bay as long as he could. After a few more periods of mindless schoolwork, he had enough. The library, a relatively empty sanctuary, was on the way to their history class, so he decided they could sneak in a little snack time. He led her into the historical nonfiction, aisles and aisles of books that were completely void of life.

"Are we going to start researching for the history paper?" Sakura joked, touching the spines of the dusty literature. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the vampire, dropping his face into the palm of his hand. His fingers tensed at his temples and he raised his head slowly, revealing the pointed fangs.

"W-Wait, we're doing this now?" she asked, sounding more scared than she hoped to. "What if someone sees us?"

"I can't wait anymore." His voice was deep and lined with a ravenous growl. "I thought you were _excited._"

Her back was pressed against the bookshelf and Sasuke closed in. "I am…"

Sakura watched his bangs fall over his face and felt the wisps tickling the top of her face, but she noticed his hesitation. He looked…on edge.

"A-Are you okay?" she breathed out. It was almost funny – she should've been asking herself that question. But the excitement was coming back, the fear was fading.

She was ready.

"You're not afraid?"

"I trust you."

Trust, she says. He huffed a pessimistic laugh. A human trusting a vampire with her life and a vampire trusting a human with his secret.

What has the world come to?

"Don't scream," he whispered desperately as his nose nuzzled her soft skin. In a flash, his fangs ripped through, sending the pain searing through her entire body. Every time he sucked, she felt the burn slither. It was the ache of blazing knives burning the flesh surrounding her throat, but without the fear of death knocking at the back of her mind, it was more overpowering than agonizing.

Even so, she tried not the scream, she really did.

The school bell was able to drown out the nanosecond of her scream before Sasuke roughly planted his free hand against her lips. She started to feel lightheaded as he unlatched from her. She leaned into him, her legs feeling like gelatin. He was gasping uncontrollably, fighting the urge to tear her apart even more. After another minute, he composed himself and kept her from tumbling to the floor.

"Sakura–"

"I'm… okay," she reassured him, but she wasn't quite so sure. The room was still spinning and the carpet felt like quick sand. Her vision was going black. She slumped onto the floor and he joined alongside her as his self-control was returning. It wasn't so bad, she kept trying to tell herself. To keep her words comprehensible, she talked slow to subdue the lightheadedness.

"Okay…," she started, taking deep breaths. She wanted to get down to business. "Question…number 1… How…old are you?"

"Old." He smirked at the cliché, but eyed her with masked concern.

"That's not…a very good answer."

"Very old."

"Don't dodge…the question, asshole."

"You asked for the truth."

_Fricking loopholes._ "A number…would be fabulous."

"Next question." He completely brushed her off.

"Can you take this seriously?" she snapped. Feeling faint after rushing to her feet, she nearly toppled over, but he was ready to catch her if it came down to it. She kept her hand out and steadied herself. "I'm fine… I'm fine."

"I'm sure." Other than that, he kept his mouth shut.

"Dodging questions…wasn't…a part of the deal," she pouted at him. "You're…not playing fair."

"The less you know, the better," he said, slinging his backpack onto his shoulder, ready to leave. That saying was making her blood boil.

"You don't know…what's best for me. Stop treating me…like a child."

"Then stop whining like a child." She hated how patronizing he was. "If there are people trying to protect you, appreciate it."

"So I should appreciate that you're going back on your word?" Sakura stared angrily at his back. "Huh, and here I thought Uchihas…were supposed to be honorable men…" She exaggerated the shrugging of shoulders when he turned around. He was not very happy. "Maybe I was wrong…?"

"…"

.

"_Researching_ at the library again?" Asuma asked amused, watching the pair walk in late.

"Something like that," Sasuke replied dubiously as they separated to their respective seats.

"No late pass?"

Sasuke shook his head. Sakura didn't say a word, too busy focusing on not falling on her face. Asuma handed her a worksheet, but she had no idea what it was about. The text was fizzing in and out of clarity and she couldn't keep her vision intact. He then started catching her up on the missed lecture, but his words sounded like hums and mismatched syllables. The only thing she could do was nod and stare at the gibberish in front of her. When he walked away, she started to feel the effects of nausea. She bit the bottom of her lip.

She was not dead or in a coma, at the hospital or at the nurse. But she felt like she was barely hanging onto consciousness. She was hyperventilating in her seat and the pain from her neck throbbed with every breath. How she was going to survive the day, she didn't know and it was only fourth period. And if this was him "holding back," she didn't know how she would handle the rest of this ordeal.

Sakura glanced over at Sasuke, sitting a few rows away. The backstabber didn't even answer any of her questions, yet he was answering the questions on the worksheet like a model student. He was shining with a healthy glow while she was growing paler every second.

He didn't even send a concerned look her way. Did he even care?

Everything felt so one-sided.

.

Sakura was nearly bored to tears waiting outside of Kakashi's room after school, wondering if he would show up again to throw a detention slip on her permanent record. Sakura cursed herself for losing her cell phone because in this day and age, it was impossible to live without it. She wanted to call her mom for a ride home if he wasn't going to show up because she was not in the mood for riding with a certain unnamed asshole. Her phoneless situation wasn't helping the cause.

'_Maybe I can try for a payphone. Wait, does this school even have payphones anymore?'_ she wondered, tapping her foot against the floor. _'I could always just walk home...'_ Suddenly, she remembered the pouring rain outside and her body jerked forward with a violent sneeze.

"You're sick?" Footsteps. "That's not a surprise."

_That arrogant voice._ "I'm not." Sakura avoided eye contact with him at all costs.

"Lie better," Sasuke impolitely advised. "Don't tell me you're walking home like this."

"Who says I'm going anywhere? I'm stuck waiting for Kakashi so I can quit worrying about this stupid detention shit, which was YOUR fault by the way."

"For being too perfect?"

"_You're_ not too perfect, your _test_ _answers_ were. You conceited prick."

Sasuke snorted. "Someone's in a bad mood…"

"No shit, Sherlock," Sakura grunted back. "Did you have to cheat to get that that conclusion?"

He got a closer look at her, reading her easily. "But you're not angry about the test."

"But it has to do with YOU. We had a deal! Why can't you take it seriously? Why can't you take ME seriously?"

"I don't like to repeat myself," he stated darkly. "Just stay out of it. Things could be a lot worse for you if you knew anymore. Besides, this is me being nice."

"You? Nice? Could've fooled me."

"It wouldn't be difficult."

"Being nice, my ass!" Sakura raised a hand and threw all her body weight into a deadly slap, but he was quick to catch it. Of course he was.

He didn't let go.

"I'm taking you home."

.

Through some violent coercing, Sasuke managed to literally toss Sakura into the front seat of his car. She landed with an "umphfff!" and murmured disjointed words after sitting properly. Sasuke slid into the driver's seat and started down the road. It was quiet as Sakura kept up a sour face and pressed herself against the car door as much as she could. From the corner of his eye, Sasuke watched her behave like a toddler.

"You should be thanking me. Kakashi wasn't going to show up and detention's a waste of time."

"…This still doesn't count as you being nice."

"You're so stubborn," he accused heatedly. His anger was rising exponentially and it wasn't stopping anytime soon. "It will make everything easier on the both of us if you'd _shut up_."

"Oh, and I'm sure you're so used to everyone just bending at every your whim, Sir Sasuke. You're just oh so handsome and rich, and you get whatever the hell you want and everyone just listens to every pretty word you have to say." Sakura used a nasally, high-pitched voice to spite him. "Newsflash, I'm not like that."

"I fucking noticed," he growled, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "You're resistant to it."

"To what? You're boyish charm and dashingly good looks? Your loads of money and intimidating demeanor?" She used the voice again.

"…Mind manipulation. Compulsions."

"You can control minds?" she asked incredulously.

"Except yours."

"Why?"

"I don't_ fucking _know." He raked a frustrated hand through his spiked hair. "It's such an inconvenience. If you weren't so stubborn–"

"Then you could get whatever the hell you want? Oh gee, I'm so sorry. I'm so so so sorry that you're such a psychotic control-freak, Sasuke. I must be a HUGE burden to bear."

"You _are_."

She really didn't expect him to agree so easily.

"Sakura, you are easily the most annoying person I have ever met."

Ouch. "So…why bother?" Her voice cracked. "…Why do you even care?"

"All I care about is the blood running through your veins. I don't give a _fuck_ about what happens to the rest of you."

Was that the sound of her heart breaking?

"Of course you don't…"

She curled into herself on the passenger's seat as if his loathing words were physically ripping her apart; his meaningful words seemed to do more damage than any kind of bite imaginable. She struggled to fight back the tears, but everything kept playing in her head. Maybe he was just livid, into the moment, he didn't really mean it. He would take it back, apologize, and try to work things out.

But he didn't.

The rest of the ride home was filled with hushed tension. The car stopped down the street from her house and Sakura released herself from the seatbelt. She sat for a minute hoping for a request of forgiveness, but she was hoping for too much. As usual.

"Sasuke…" With a disparaging smile and a pained face, she turned to him. "Ever since I met you, you hated me..." She choked on the lump in her throat; the bottom of her lip was trembling. "W-What did I do to make you hate me so much?"

Shaking, she left without receiving an answer. He had a clear view of her, walking home head hanging low without an umbrella or hood, climbing onto the porch, searching for her house key, unlocking the door, disappearing. Yet her scent remained.

Sasuke rested his forehead against the wheel and stared blankly at his hands. A novel sadness pooled somewhere inside him and he only recognized it as remorse. After decades of heartless massacres, this one human girl made him feel regret. Meeting her, hunting her, breaking her.

Was it wrong that a part of him secretly enjoyed it?

* * *

><p>"Shouldn't you be at the high school? Doing your job?" Yamato positioned his creation against the wall in his underground workshop.<p>

"Took the day off." Kakashi tapped the lid of his coffee cup. "Besides, this is my job now."

"You don't say…"

"Did you work on this all night?" The teacher stood back and scrutinized the contraption. "Is it…done?"

"I did, but no, it's not finished." Yamato tossed his gloves aside. "I want to consult someone before we move forward. If we plan on overstepping ANBU's orders, we need as much help as we can get."

"I see. And we're not _overstepping_ orders, per say. We're…expanding them."

"They specifically told us to stop hunting vampires, Kakashi. The Kages could track down ANBU if we kept hunting in Fire Country."

"That was years ago," Kakashi replied, ascending the stairwell. The woodworker followed suit.

"And the order is still in effect… This could spark something huge, something beyond just you and me."

"Then, we really do need the help, don't we?"

.

A matured, gothic cathedral was hidden in the outskirts of Sunagakure, a desert city in the Land of Wind. The building stood tall and majestic as it had been for hundreds of years. It was barely hanging on as a crumbling piece of art, the ancient archways and the sculpted columns flanking the stained-glass doors. Every window depicted a biblical scene that seemed to be lost in the sandstorms. After hours of travel, they arrived.

"Come." Yamato pulled his coat closer. He shielded his eyes from the drifting winds and led the way.

They entered the decrepit building, overlooking rows and rows of pews that stretched endlessly. The ceiling was extending towards the heavens and murals of angels decorated the sky. Along the walls, sanctified relics retold divine stories from the holy book. Down the center of the walkway, the altar was covered in white, embroidered linens and lit with flickering candles that were itching to die out any second. A massive crucifix hung from the ceiling above the podium which was empty. Like the rest of the place.

"They should be here," Yamato mumbled. They marched down the aisle to stand before the altar and stopped in front of the baptismal font. Kakashi leaned over the giant basin and dipped his finger in the cleansed liquid.

"Holy water."

"I'm aware," the masked man answered, rubbing his fingers together.

"That's not why we're here…" Yamato noticed the elderly woman emerge from the priest's chambers. "She is."

The woman was clad in black and white attire, complete with a beaded rosary around her neck. She shuffled her feet and slouched over as she walked.

"We're closed," spat the old woman, grabbing a goblet from the altar. She rubbed it meticulously with a cloth. "Come back Sunday."

"We need your assistance."

"Sunday," she repeated, walking away with the cup in hand.

"Honorable Puppeteer Chiyo," Yamato pleaded. "Please, help us."

She stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes. "My puppets have been a secret for decades… Who are you, boy?"

"Yamato Tenzo and Kakashi Hatake, hunters from the Annihilation: Blood Unit."

"Bah! ANBU," she said with disgust. "Talentless buffoons with guns and whatnot. They rely on their weapons, not their skill. As if they have any…"

"Uh…"

"Ex-ANBU," Kakashi corrected. "We are no longer affiliated with them."

"You are Kakashi Hatake, are you not?" she asked with coarseness. He nodded, stepping forward. "Son of Sakumo Hatake, the _White Fang,_ lead hunting operative from the Blood Unit – the face of ANBU. Any kin of his is not welcome here." She turned her back, detestation radiating off her. "Leave."

Yamato called out in dejection. "But we have the same objective, Lady Chiyo! With your wisdom, we can challenge the vampires–"

"Don't!" she yelled, her feeble voice cracking with rage. "Don't you dare speak their name in front of God." She eyed the crucifix and sighed roughly before bringing her tone to a solemn whisper. "If your matters are as grave as you make them to be, then come. Monsters from hell wait for no one."

The two men exchanged looks as the fickle elder shuffled towards the chambers.

"I won't wait either if you two don't step on it."

.

"Vampires are considered preliminary demons. They have yet to become full-fledged servers of the underworld, followers of Lucifer…" Chiyo told, pouring steaming tea into a cup; Yamato mouthed a word of thanks. "They have a hold onto this world and the next, remaining here as 'undead' creatures of the night…"

"Well, we want to send them into hell. Permanently," Kakashi stated, inspecting the shelves of dolls surrounding the room. "Did you make these yourself?"

"Every single one of them," she responded proudly.

"Lady Chiyo is not only a woman of the cloth, but a puppeteer specializing in warding off demons and evil spirits," Yamato explained, sitting the table.

"Each one is crafted after every hellish fiend I've come across."

'_That would explain the army of them,'_ Kakashi thought, holding a petite, delicate figure in his hand – one of many. Cotton puffs and wheat stems were sticking out between the old stitching. _'There must be hundreds, maybe even thousands of dolls here.'_ "What happens to these fiends after you make puppets of them?"

"They perish, of course. Banished to hell. They have no purpose on Earth."

"How do you…_banish_ them, exactly?" Yamato asked with the rim of his cup to his lips.

"God's blessing. Rituals, prayers, chants."

"Like voodoo," Kakashi added.

"No, not like voodoo." Chiyo shook her head at their naivety. "Voodoo is the work of the Devil. This is a form of channeling spirits, good spirits that ward away the bad. The puppets are talismans that work against the respective demon."

'_Sounds like Voodoo to me.'_ Kakashi replaced the doll and wandered around.

"You know a lot about vampires," Yamato complimented as the woman sat across from him.

"I have to, they're a part of my life now."

"It wasn't before?"

She heaved a dreadful sigh. "I have been a priestess for 60 long years, coming from a long line of devout followers, and had more generations to come. My son never joined priesthood, but he was a righteous man, along with his wife and my grandson. But they were killed…by a vampire." A deep frown appeared on the woman's face, but she continued on.

"My grandson was a young man when it happened. He was fascinated with the mystery, the darkness of the underworld…he said he wanted to find a way to destroy it, but he was consumed. He died when at the age of twenty because he turned…"

Yamato's eyes widened. "Your grandson became…"

"A vampire. And in his wake, he mutilated his parents and my brother who was the head priest of this chapel. But I was able to ward him off…with a doll that I made for him when he was a boy. It was 10 years ago and I have been using puppets ever since. He was the only fiend I couldn't kill…"

"Your entire family. That's devastating…"

"Tragedies make you stronger, and for that, I am grateful," she said quietly. "I learned how to cleanse the world of evils that I never once imagined were possible. I use the light of God and my puppets redirect His light. ANBU once believed in the same principles, but it has lost its way."

"How so?"

"They believe in destruction. They have no higher purpose; they kill for blood, for better numbers, for higher pay. I believe in cleansing the world of wrongful sin."

"But humans sin just as much, don't they?" Yamato asked, deeply involved in the conversation.

"That is true, humans aren't ideal," she spoke, having some tea for herself. "Adam and Eve failed the Lord by pilfering fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. And now, humans are plagued by knowing too much. But vampires were rumored to have been born from the same Garden of Eden, as well. After Adam and Eve were banished, God created a being to survive alone in the garden, to protect it, and to only to abide by one rule: stay away from the Tree of Life. Again, this being failed, banished to a forever-life of loneliness."

"To become the first vampire…Well, that would explain a vampire's immortality. Religiously, of course…" Yamato scratched his chin.

"But humans and vampires are vastly different," she reminded. "Humans can be forgiven, for they were cast from paradise to prevent harm to the Tree of Life. But vampires… can never be forgiven. They committed an ultimate sin in the eyes of God. They fed off of life, an unforgivable act."

"Hmm… They never teach you these kinds of things during ANBU summits, right Kakashi?"

"Aah. There was a lot of things ANBU didn't tell us," the man replied from the other side of the room. A doll near the top shelf caught his eye. It was highly detailed, probably recently crafted considering the experience etched into its elements. An orange, swirled mask blocked the entirety of its face. Gently, Kakashi lifted it and the figure showed long, flowing black hair, spiked in edges. Red, swirling eyes glared back at him. _'Those eyes...'_ "Lady Chiyo," he called, holding the puppet in front of him. "Who was this modeled after?"

"The monster who took my grandson away, Madara Uchiha," she answered, cold and incensed.

"But this puppet was made recently. Is he dead?"

"You have a good eye, Hatake. It was made recently, but in order to complete the ritual, I need his blood, but I have not seen him in 10 years…"

"And you said his name was Uchiha? Are you sure?" Kakashi questioned, observing the figure and the familiar crimson eyes.

"I may be old, but I'm not senile just yet, boy," she assured him brusquely. "I can never forget the man who tore my family apart."

'_Uchiha… Sasuke Uchiha.' _The resemblance was uncanny. Kakashi placed the doll in the middle of the table.

"Then I think you might be interested in working with us."

* * *

><p>Hina sat beside the girl and nudged her arm. It was breaking her tiny, undead heart seeing Sakura crying so powerlessly. At times like this, Hina really wished she was allowed to talk.<p>

"Merrrow," was what she had to make do with.

The pink-haired girl lifted her head from the dampen sheets, hair matted to her cheek, and gently petted the feline's head.

"Hina, love is for stupid people," she declared maliciously and threw a fist at a pillow. "Stupid Sasuke…"

"Rowr?" _Sasuke?_

'_Maybe I'm the stupid one…'_ Sakura slowly sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. "I thought he actually _liked _me. So much for being in love, right?"

Hina tilted her ears back and her entire stature slouched.

"He made me feel special and wanted… needed…" She choked on a sob, tears threatening to fall. "And I'm so… _angry_."

She told herself she wouldn't do this. She specifically told herself to never ever cry over Sasuke Uchiha.

_I hate myself._

"But I don't want to feel like this anymore. But I can't help it. I can't– "

_I love him too much._

Her hands covered her face; she wept uncontrollably. There was only so much one heart could take before it shattered forever. She gripped her chest, urging it to stop bursting at the seams.

"I j-just want it to stop hurting."

Hina watched on. "Mreow…" _Please. _"Meooorw." _Don't cry anymore, Sakura._ "Sasuke's not worth it…"

"I-… d-did you just say something?"

_Oops, slipped out. _"Meow?" The cat tilted its head.

Sakura wiped her swollen eyes. "I s-swear I heard you say s-something…"

"Meow, meow?"

"SAKURA!" came a call from the hallway. Hina's ears perked up and Sakura groaned habitually at her mom's nagging voice.

"Damn it…" She stood and in the bathroom, she cringed at her dying reflection in the mirror.

_Okay, pull yourself together, Sakura._ She slapped her cheeks. _Get over him in 3. 2. 1._

She nodded at her doppelganger and her brow furrowed.

_Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts for…_

After dousing her face in water, she rushed down the stairwell. "COMINGGG!"

Sakura landed on her feet and entered the kitchen. Her mom was buzzing around the room, throwing pots in the sink and spoons in the dishwasher. Sakura wasn't used to seeing her mom at home, mostly because she was at the hospital – or lately, detention – when her mother left for the night. "There's some dinner in the fridge if you get hungry. I made some soup because I know you're not feeling well," Mebuki said, pulling on her shoes. "I'm off to work."

"Thanks, Mom."

"And did you walk home in the rain? No wonder you're getting sick all the time."

"…Thanks, Mom."

"You should've called me."

"I kinda sorta…lost my phone," the girl replied, coughing into her arm.

"What? How could you lose your phone?"

"I…" _I was getting drunk at a party, then getting the life sucked out of me, then ending up in the hospital, then– _"…have no idea."

"God, Sakura, you're killing me," she complained, snatching the keys off the counter. "Oh, and why did I get a message from the school saying you _missed detention?_ You…have…detention?"

_Frick._ "It's a long story, and oh, look at the time. You're late! Can't keep those starving people waiting, can ya? Nopeee, you can't. So bye, Mom!" She verbally tried to push her mom out the door, but she wouldn't budge.

A quick glance at the clock: 4PM, plenty of time. A quick glance outside: raining cats and dogs. A quick glance at her daughter: pale, sniffling, lying?

"Sakura…"

"Ugh okay, my teacher thinks I cheated on a test, so he failed me and gave me detention. Happy?"

"He _assumed_ you cheated? I'll call him right now and yell at him if I have_–_"

"But that's the thing!" Sakura cut her off. "I…did cheat."

"You_ did_? Why on Earth would you resort to cheating when you're always locked up in your room studying?"

"The test was hard and I panicked. I don't know, it's really not that big of a deal… Just leave it alone, okay?" Sakura plopped down into a chair, exhausted from just about everything. "I'm just…really tired." Her mother crossed her arms and the girl knew she was in for it.

"…Fine, I trust you," Mebuki sighed, her expression softened.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. _That was easier than I thought._

"But I don't want to hear about detention, suspension or whatever else you get yourself into. I know you're not a troublemaker."

"Right. No troublemaking here."

"And get some sleep, you look like death."

"Okie dok."

"Don't forget to lock the door. And close the windows, too. I don't want the whole house to be soaked by the time I get back…"

"Yup, won't forget."

"And if you do eat, start the dishwasher for me. It's almost full."

"Gotcha."

"And Hina needs some food. Feed her, okay? But I don't think she likes that new canned food I bought her… "

"Mom…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going now." Her mother rushed by, pecked her on the cheek.

"Okay bye, drive safe."

Mebuki waved promptly before leaving. Sakura leaned her back against the closed door and exhaled, elated. "Holy hell, she never stops talking…" She was suddenly thankful that their work schedules crossed constantly.

Sluggishly, Sakura threw open cabinets until she found bottles of painkillers. After scanning label after label, she found pills that were fever reducers, courtesy of the Konoha Medical Center. The heavy stuff. Her body rejoiced upon the discovery. She happily took two and climbed the mountain-like stairs back to her room. Standing, she debated on what to do next: curl in bed with her favorite kitty or do school work that she would eventually have to do anyway. Her pounding headache was swaying her thoughts.

_…Oh fuck it._ Now she could add "skipping homework" to the long list of wrongdoings.

She crawled onto the mattress and has a staring contest with the feline making a nest out of her pillows. Hina was the first to look away, grooming her front paws.

"Don't play dumb with me…" Sakura hissed half-jokingly before going into a coughing fit. When she recovered, she collapsed on her bed with a crumpled tissue against her nose. "Ugh… I hate being sick."

"Nreow." With the tip of her nose, Hina pushed the box of tissues towards Sakura, who looked peeved.

"I know I'm borderline mental…and currently on meds…and a maybe even little delusional…but I know I heard you say something. Blink if you understand me."

Hina stared back with big, lucid eyes.

"Smartass…"

Sakura lay on her back, facing the ceiling. Drowsiness started to set in, thanks to the mix of medications and her weeping affair.

"I'm sorry, Hina. It's not you I'm mad at." Sakura whispered with closed eyes, yawning and falling into a deep, relaxing sleep. "I'm sorry…"

"…It's okay."

* * *

><p>The gymnasium had a way of echoing every sound. There was the smacking of the volleyballs and the slapping against hands and forearms. Then, there were those sports-obsessed kids grunting for no good reason and antagonizing the "useless" players on their team. Mr. Gai didn't make it any better because he was babbling about sunshine and rainbows. All of it was a jumble of madness when added on to the ringing presently in Sakura's ears.<p>

"SAKURA! HEADS UP!"

That didn't help either.

Before she could even register what happened, a mass of synthetic leather pelted her across the face and she fell ungracefully onto the polished gymnasium floor. Sakura immediately regretted taking drowsy decongestants this morning.

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt," announced Tenten, a high school senior on the team. She was the first to jog over and she spotted the line of blood oozing from Sakura's nose. "Way to go, Naruto! She's bleeding!"

Sakura swiped at her face and saw the smeared redness across her arm. _'Great, as if I didn't lose enough blood already…'_

"My bad! I thought she had it!" Naruto ducked under the net. Hinata, playing on another court with Ino, immediately watched the scene unfold. Naruto kneeled down. "You okay?"

She was seeing stars and spots of red. "I think my nose is broken…"

"Ah fuck, I'm so sorry!" Naruto was frazzled, but seemed more fazed by the mishap than anything.

Sakura found some way to laugh. "I'm kidding, Naruto."

"I'll help you up," Tenten offered a hand.

"I got it," she declined. Trembling, she stood and forced her body into a ready position. _'I don't want to be babied anymore…'_ She noticed Sasuke, her emotionless teammate, observing her. _'…like a child.'_

"Okaaay…" Naruto dribbled the ball back to the opposite side of the net. "It's a little unpredictable, so uh, here it goes." The ball was tossed in the air and with an arched swipe, he struck it with inhuman strength. It grazed the top of the net and flew straight towards her again, looking like a bullet fresh from a gun. It was ridiculous how a volleyball of all things made her life flash before her eyes.

God, how she hated gym.

She crouched into herself waiting for the pain, but besides the hand full she already had, she felt nothing more. The sound of a soft thump chimed in her ears and the ball fell gently into awaiting hands. Sakura lifted her head and for some reason, she's always surprised to see him appearing out of nowhere. Sasuke, standing in front of her and he never looked more like a savior than this very moment.

"…You were all the way over there just a second ago," Sakura whispered between them, catching her breath.

"Just keeping up my end of the deal." He tossed the ball back to Naruto. He ran from the opposite side of the court just to save her?

Divine intervention took on a whole new meaning.

"Oops, sorry Saku- Hey, where ya going!"

"Serve," he ordered to Naruto, taking Sakura by the wrist and escorting her off the court. They stood at the sidelines, watching the rest of the rally play out. Tenten smacked the hell out of the ball and sent it flying back over the net. Neji dove for it, but it grounds and Sakura and Sasuke's team cheered and set up to play another round.

But in their own little world, all of that was unimportant.

Sasuke faced her and with his thumb, he dabbed the pooling blood under her nose. She watched helplessly as he placed her blood into his mouth.

She was melting.

"Um…thank you for saving me," Sakura said quietly. "But I still hate y_–_"

"…almost 100." He kept his eyes on the court and his voice low.

She tilted her head and said, "…almost 100?"

"Years."

_Years? …Oh._ The next question that formed in her head: How old are you, exactly?

But she decided this was a good start.

"Apology accepted," she said instead, smiling at him. "When you do turn 100, we should celebrate."

"It's not something worth celebrating." That look on his face…

_Is that the sun shining or did he just smile at me?_ "It should be."

"It really isn't."

"Surprise birthday party, it is."

"Tch." He rolled his eyes.

"Tch, I'm Sasuke and I don't like birthday parties," she mocked him with a grungy, masculine voice.

"I do not sound like that."

"No, you do."

"Stop talking, Sakura."

"Stop talking, Sakura."

"You're so annoying," he said, walking away with a smirk on his face.

Sakura laughed and ran after him, following the crowd heading towards the locker rooms.

.

_I'm sorry, heart – for being so fickle. But I just can't help it. _

"Hey, we have lunch next! Where are you going, missy?" Ino threw her hands on her hips, standing in a bra and gym shorts.

"I'll see you guys there," Sakura muffled, throwing on her shirt faster than lightning. She grabbed her books and squeezed by. "There's something I need to do first!"

"Yeah, you better not hide out in the bathroom again! If I find you in there, I swear to GOD."

She waved to Hinata and Ino, then raced out of the locker room.

_Like how Ino can't help but be a sassy drama queen or how Hinata can't help but be a giant sweetheart…_

Sakura nearly slipped on the wet floor as she turned the corner. A group of boys walked out of their locker room, talking and laughing. Naruto must've told a joke because it had the whole gang in an uproar. Among them, Sasuke, looking less pissed off than usual. She liked to think it was her doing.

_Or how Naruto can't help but be a lovable jokester and how Sasuke can't help but be a colossal jerk…_

Their eyes met. And he took this time to slip away and join her at the end of the hall.

…_Sometimes. _

His hand touched her forehead and she jumped at the sudden contact.

"Still sick?"

His hand was cold. "A little."

"Should've stayed home."

"…I should be doing a lot of things."

"I agree, but you never listen to me."

"I guess that makes me kinda special." She winked at him; he brushed it off. "I'm like a challenge to you, right? That should make me interesting."

"Or annoying."

"Flip a coin."

_I can't help it, heart. I know you're probably really fed up with me, and I don't blame you. I'm fed up with myself. But I see something that I think a lot of people miss…_

"So…," Sakura started, as they headed towards the lunchroom. "Are you hungry? Or _thirsty?_"

He thought about it. "Not really."

"Are you suuure? I think my blood is really tasty right about now."

"I can manage."

"Going once_…_"

"I'll pass."

"Going twice_…_?"

"Don't tempt me, Sakura."

_I never really understood him or his darkness, but there's something there…like a light. And I want to see it. _

_I'm sure it's warm…_

They were sitting in the Viper after another monotonous afternoon of detention.

"Driving me home again? I think this counts as you being nice to me. I like it."

"Don't get used to it."

"I won't. I know you're always in a bad mood, so I mentally prepared myself."

"Good. I wouldn't want to make you cry again," he said, buckling his seatbelt. "You're ugly when you cry."

"Excuse me?" Insulted.

"You heard me." Straight-faced.

"You're making fun of me, again…"

"You make it too easy."

"Where'd the nice Sasuke go? I liked him better…"

_I'm sorry, heart. This is who I am._

_A sucker for love._

_I keep forgiving him and he keeps breaking you over and over again. _

_But I think this might work out this time because Sasuke is…_

_Changing._

She stepped out of the car and into a puddle that glistened against the light. She looked up at the sky. Blue, clearing. The sun was shining.

_So I apologize, heart. I'm so sorry I keep putting you through this. _

_I'm so sorry._

"Later," he said, driving off. Sakura waved even when he disappeared down the road.

_I'm sorry._

_I really, really am. _

* * *

><p>The Apology<p>

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**Please Review.**


	17. The Moment

To them, this moment was natural. Human nature. Vampire nature. Natural.

His hand was firmly planted onto the small of her back, keeping her close, keeping her his. The heat of the moment was luring her in with an astonishing force. She did not fight it. Instead, she embraced the familiar ache of his lips, tongue, teeth. Some masochistic gene tainted her; some sadistic gene was alive in him.

Every bite was euphoric. Every touch, like fire. Every sensation, heightened.

Every second felt wrong and right. Paradoxical, but honest.

Her breathe hitched, feeling the coolness of his fingers slide under her blouse. He nibbled against her neck teasingly as intermission, before going for another taste. Their bodies were tight and locked as the expensive leather of the car seats generated fabulous friction against their skins. The sense of urgent need rushed in their veins. They were growing so deeply consumed. Addicted. Their worlds began to bend and intertwine almost perfectly, innately.

And with teeth clenching, hands gripping his hair, she was fighting the need to wail out in a troubling mix of pain and pleasure. Pain from his teeth, pleasure from everything else. In a gratifying compromise, the sound from her lips formed a tasty, sensual moan that sent blaring signals through him.

Insanity ensued in the pleasure centers of his mind.

A pressure was building; an unseen tension, a fiery spark rising within. It was something they both wanted to avoid. It was something more dangerous, sinister. But it was ready to collapse, detonate, ready to ruin the order of their worlds.

Ready to ruin_ them_.

And before it could blow up in their faces, destroying the entire fabric of their relationship, they pulled away.

Sakura, panting for air.

Sasuke, panting for control.

He roughly wiped away the excess blood from his perfectly shaped lips; she was too flustered to look him in the eye and leaned into the backseat. The heaviness still pushed on them to move towards one another, to recreate their special brand of disorder that only brewed when they were together.

The desire to ruin each other. To create chaos.

Stuck in a moment.

* * *

><p>[17] The Moment<p>

* * *

><p>The meaning of life twisted in a new direction.<p>

Sakura finished her week of detention and Sasuke, seeing no point in going anymore, skipped every other session to their teacher's blatant dislike. He was back to his relatively normal self, together with his usual brooding and sanguinary nature that was masterfully managed. She was back in her starchy uniform at the Medical Center and happier than ever. They started their negotiated routine. On certain days, he would pay her a non-medical related visit that involved sneaking away to a vacant room.

Or to the tall stacks of books at the library between classes.

Or to the bathroom stalls when no one was looking.

Or to the locker rooms before the start of gym.

Or to the backseat of his car after school.

Or to anywhere. At any time.

Their secret moments.

Sakura would look forward to them and it wasn't for the questions she got to ask because at this point, she talked whenever the hell she felt like it. And he would respond with a sufficient-enough answer that would keep her mouth shut for a while. It was a good system; it worked for them. But she was curious, captivated by his everything and it was exhilarating and heart-pounding and just about every good feeling in the entire world wrapped around a hint pain that she soon adjusted to.

And Sasuke, a forever slave to his vampire greed, wouldn't miss a chance with her. His cravings were fulfilled past heavenly perfection, but every few days when his urges would resurface, he'd come back to her for another slice of heaven. Another slice of her.

Sneaking away to be indulged.

Together, alone.

This became their norm.

.

"Three? That's it?" Sakura stepped into the snow and dug through her purse for a set of elusive house keys.

"We have to set boundaries." Sasuke stood aside on the porch, observing her mounting frustration and dazed walk to the front door. "…You talk too much."

"But three questions a day?" she asked exasperated, mostly for a different reason. "There's no way that would satisfy my curiosity."

"It's called compromise. Light feeding isn't as satisfying as you'd think."

"What do you expect? A full course meal? In case you didn't notice, I'm not the biggest fan of passing out and if I end up in the hospital again, I'll _gladly_ send you the bill."

"Like I said: _Compromise._ We're doing it for a reason."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just saying there should be room for a little _more_ compromising… and damn it, _where are my fricking keys_?" Sakura griped, ready to spin her bag upside down. "This bag swallows up everything…" Then, she raised her head and saw her ring of keys dangling in her face. She instantly shot the vampire a look.

"Back pocket," he deadpanned, tossing them to her. Uncouthly, she caught it against her chest, mumbled a "thanks" and fiddled with the lock. She entered.

"Take your shoes off, by the way," Sakura called, customarily sliding her shoes off and walking into the kitchen. "My mom hates when the floors get all muddy." Leaving her bag at the table, she opened a cabinet and reached for a tea cup on the top shelf. She struggled on her tippy-toes and briskly back tracked to get help.

"Hey, can you get something for me?" She cocked an eyebrow at Sasuke who, with a wound up expression, stopped at the door. "…Why are you just standing there?"

"You have to invite me inside," he stated plainly.

"You need an invite? You can't just walk inside?…Is that a _vampire thing_?"

He nodded.

Something clicked in her head and a sly smile met her face.

"I think I'll just grab a chair…," she snickered, scurrying to get her tea started.

"…Sakura!" he growled aggressively, watching her turn the corner. A dynamic vein throbbed at his forehead. "Annoying…_" _

A few minutes later, Sakura reappeared with a steaming cup of unsweetened tea. She shuffled to the door with fuzzy slippers on her feet and inhaled the steamy aroma.

"I made enough for the both of us," she sing-songed with hidden laughter in her voice. "How's my front porch? Is it still snowing?" The unwelcomed visitor glowered in her direction. "Oh calm down, you grouch. I'll invite you in…sooner or later." Her shoulders quaked with silent giggles.

"Che," he said, turning on his heel and heading down the steps. After nearly dropping the scorching tea, Sakura quickly set down the delicate porcelain and called after him.

"Hey, I was just kidding!" She stepped outside and sprinted through her front yard, fumbling on her slippers. "Don't go! Who's going to help me study for the literature test?"

Sasuke paused, hand planted on the car door's handle.

"You want me to stay?" She nodded profusely. He crossed his arms and pulled out a cocky half-smile. "Beg."

"_Beg?"_ She laughed. "No _way_. I'm not a dog. I won't stoop that low."

"Then enjoy failing tomorrow," he said, sliding into the Oto-Viper. The door slammed and the car started up a nanosecond later. In an instant, Sakura found herself jumping into action.

"Hold on a minute!" she exclaimed, rushing to his window. He opened his door and leaned out; the engine purred in the background. She took a dramatic breath and swallowed her pride. "You're _a lot_ better at this topic than I am and I don't understand the century-old speech and the way they write… and I know you probably heard them talk first-hand so, it would be useful, you know? And failing isn't an option here…."

"That doesn't sound like begging."

"I'm getting there!"

"Then hurry up. You're wasting my gas."

"No one said you had to turn the engine on!"

He shrugged, waiting for his show to begin.

"God, this is so demeaning," she thought out loud. _All of this to feed his fat ego._ He cleared his throat to push her to continue. "Sasuke, please stay. I need you and you're the only one who can help me. Please, please, please with a nice, juicy cherry on top and sprinkles and whipped cream and hot fudge…and blood, if you're into that. Please." She slapped her palms together and prayed for his generosity.

But he wasn't feeling very generous today.

"…Begging sounds better when you're on your knees."

"ARGH, you ego monster!"

"Do you want to pass or not?"

.

"Know the symbolism and the notable connotations, then you should be fine for the test."

"Okay," Sakura said, jotting down notes. She flipped through the heap of papers layering the top of the kitchen table. "And connotation is like a hidden meaning, right?"

"An implied or underlying meaning of a word or phrase," he answered, bored out of his mind.

"Wow, verbatim…I'm impressed," she declared, reading the highlighted material from a study packet. "Did you memorize that?"

"Unintentionally."

"Do you naturally have a good memory or is that another _vampire thing_?"

"Both," he said, distracted. "Where's your cat?"

"Hina?" Sakura rose from her work and surveyed the room. "Hm, I don't know. She's usually following me around. Maybe she went outside…"

"In the snow? You're not a very good owner…"

"She likes the snow! It doesn't even bother her. She's a weird one, but she likes being outside, so I let her be. That doesn't make me a bad owner," she defended, pressing her pencil harder into the page.

"Hn." The rev of an engine pulled him away from the conversation. "…I thought you said your mother works late."

"She does." Sakura read the clock, 8 at night. "She _should _be, anyway."

"Someone just pulled into your driveway," he announced, pushing out of his seat. Sakura witnessed blinding headlights peering into the kitchen window and sped over. Her stomach felt heavy when she recognized the vehicle.

"Crap, it_ is_ my mom. You should teleport…or whatever you vampires do. Oh, I know! Turn into a bat!"

"Funny." He leaned against the banister and watched her scramble around the foyer. "Why does it matter if she knows I'm here?"

"She doesn't know I have company over."

"So?"

"_Sooo_, she'll be pissed because I invited a guest when the house isn't clean and there's crap everywhere. But then again, she always says the house is a mess, so I guess there's just no pleasing her…? Ugh! It would be a lot easier if you'd just disappear, okay? And don't say anything!"

Sakura abruptly spun around, exhaled her nerves, and opened the front door.

"Hi, Mom. You're home early."

"Oh hi, Sweetie. And yeah, there's this business meeting going on so we had to close the restaurant early today. Apparently our profits are dropping, so they're brainstorming on what to do next. It's a giant hassle, let me tell you…"

"I hear ya," Sakura said unenthusiastically. She threw a glance over her shoulder and saw an empty staircase. Score. "So, I was just studying in the kitchen. Hope you don't mind. I'll clean all that stuff up in a minute."

"It's fine, I'll be out of your way after I have some tea."

Sakura trailed after her mother, expecting her carelessly scattered notes to be decorating the room. Instead, she saw them nicely stacked and she ended up seething with annoyance. Her mother, in contrast, was pleasantly surprised.

"_Hello_. Who's this, Sakura?"

Sasuke. Shuffling the papers into a neat pile and setting them down.

"I thought I told you to _disappear,_" Sakura whispered through gritted teeth.

"Did you?" he asked, feigning innocence. "I don't recall…"

Her eye twitched. _Good memory, my ass. _

"Good evening, Mrs. Haruno." A charming air graced his features as he stepped forward, offering a hand. "Sasuke Uchiha. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, it's nice to meet you too, Sasuke." The woman grinned after taking his hand. "Sakura didn't tell me she was bringing someone over."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Surprise, surprise."

"I'm going to bring all this to your room… If that's alright with you," he said, looking at Sakura, then at her mother.

_Oh god, not my room…_

"Go ahead, I need a minute with my daughter anyway."

He packed up, taking the mess with him; they exchange unsaid words when he walked by. The teenager threw herself into a chair and waited for her mother's speech of disapproval.

_Here we go... I already know what you're going to say, Mom:_

_"Why is he here? You know the house is filthy and I left the laundry lying around because I was going to do it first thing tomorrow. You didn't even tell me he was going to be here! Did you vacuum the floor? Or sweep the kitchen? You didn't, did you? And to think you two spent all afternoon in here! It's disgusting! Blah blah BLAH." _

_Let's just get this over with so I can kick him out…_

The woman had her back turned, pouring hot water into a mug and taking her sweet time. Sakura sat still with killer anticipation. With a steaming cup firmly in hand, Mebuki faced her daughter and leaned against the counter. She took a long, gratifying sip.

"He's cute."

_That's what you say? HE'S CUTE? _

_Not that I don't agree with you…_

"Sure…," Sakura replied, still expecting the volcano to erupt and spew menopausal rants at her. "You're not going to yell at me?"

"Well, you could have told me you were bringing _a boy_ home_._"

"I didn't think you'd be home this early."

"And I never thought I'd catch my daughter sneaking around with a guy."

_Whoa, back up._

"_Sneaking around_? We're studying together. STUDYING. The most innocent, educational, and nerdy interaction between two people. Nothing inappropriate is happening anywhere in this house."

"What do you want me to think? This is the first time you brought a boy home."

"And this is also the first time you let a boy in my room…," Sakura stressed, wondering what he could be doing up there. He mind reeled with the possibilities.

"Well, he seems like a nice guy."

"Haha! _Nice_ isn't exactly the word I'd be going for…"

"Why not? He's lovely, polite. He has a very good handshake. I get a good vibe from him."

_You're a sucker. _

"…Whatever you say."

_Sasuke's playing you like a nicely tuned violin, Mother. _

.

"Thanks for NOT listening to me," Sakura grumbled, announcing her presence.

"I manipulated her so she wouldn't yell at you," Sasuke said, messing with the vibrant perfume bottles embellishing her dresser. "So, you are welcome."

"Can you manipulate her to never lecture me? That would be great because she wouldn't stop bringing up _proper protection_ and _being careful_ like I'm some sex-crazed teenager." She shuddered. "I specifically told her we weren't up to anything, but she'll never let me live this down." Sakura pounced onto her mattress, but failed to relax. "You know, you could've saved me the hassle if you just left through the backdoor."

Sasuke uncapped one of the bottles and took a whiff; his nose twitched in response. "Technically, we _are_ sneaking around… it's just not the sneaking around she's thinking of."

"Yeah, but she's still has her doubts. At least she approves of you with all your phony _charm and politeness_," Sakura sighed, lying in her mountain of pillows. "Why can't you be a lovely kiss-ass all the time?"

"Tch, I'm being _respectful_; that's how I was raised. And is it wrong to have your mother like me?" he questioned, sampling another one of her body sprays.

"Oh, don't worry. She LIKES you. Maybe even a little too much…"

After the conversation died, she remembered the situation they were in. They were alone. In her bedroom. She tried desperately not to think about it too much, but damn. Sasuke was in her bedroom. She never thought this day would come. A familiar pressure filled the room and Sakura wondered if she was the only one it was affecting. Sasuke went to her door and it made her sit up immediately.

"Don't close it. She said to leave my door open if I'm going to be here with you…"

He closed it anyway.

"She doesn't have to know."

He climbed onto her bed and she fell back, apprehensive; it only prompted him to move forward. All of a sudden, Sakura was trapped with Sasuke hovering above her. The tension was definitely in the air.

"What are you doing?" she muttered, hoping to be miraculously absorbed by her mattress. She attempted to shy away.

"Nothing." Yet he was boldly inching closer to her face.

"Y-You're making me nervous," she whimpered. Her heart was aching to explode. "You know she's already suspicious."

"Then let's give her give her a real reason to be," he challenged, filling the space between them. He dipped his head and placed his ear against her chest. The rhythmic pulse rushed through him in the form of ecstasy. He then brought his mouth to her ear and whispered with a low, yearning voice:

"… _that sound_."

He smirked, hearing her heart pound even faster.

"Stop playing with me, Sasuke," she said, her voice quivering.

_I don't think my heart can take it._

"You're right… I shouldn't play with my food." His lips touched upon her neck in what felt like light kisses. He opened, ready to take a mouthful of her. Her eyes fluttered closed as Sakura prepared herself for the bite by gripping the sheets surrounding them.

"You should stop wearing this perfume."

The bite never came.

Sakura snapped her eyes open to see Sasuke strangely at her dresser again. He was holding up an amethyst bottle that sparkled in the light, but she could still feel his lips whispering against her skin. "I don't like it," he continued, but his eyes weren't on her. Instead, he watched the bedroom door from where he stood and Sakura caught on.

"Sakura," came the muffled voice.

Her mother. The moment killer.

The woman entered as Sakura tried to save her erratic thoughts. "I told you to keep your door open. And Sasuke, are you joining us for dinner?"

"…I need to go, actually." He stole a glance at the pink-faced girl, lying awkwardly on her bed. There was the aching throb of missed opportunity. "But thank you for offering."

"Anytime. It was nice having you," Mebuki grinned sweetly. "Sakura, why don't you walk him out?"

.

They were standing alone under the glow of the porch light. Small bouts of snow tumbled to the ground as Sakura shivered. She breathed into her hands and embraced herself from the winter currents. Sasuke stood, impervious.

"Well, that was awkward," Sakura admitted, watching her feet. "Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner? My mom's a really good cook."

"I don't like what's on the menu," he said, staring at her. She felt the gravity in his voice.

"O-Oh… Sorry, we're not u-used to serving vampires," she trembled uncontrollably.

"I'll survive."

He turned to leave, but Sakura caught the sleeve of his parka. He then froze and watched her lips ice over into an unhealthy purple hue. He removed his navy jacket and protectively threw it over her shoulders. After feeling its soothing embrace, she began to thaw. A giddy feeling invaded her thoughts.

"T-Thank you…" She fiddled with the long sleeves before returning his stare. "I have one more vampire-related question left, r-right? And I was just wondering for a really long time…

What do I taste like?"

Every other question was simple. But this one, Sasuke took a moment.

Remarkable? Exceptional? Out of this world?

What did Sakura taste like?

She tasted like every guilty pleasure that wracked his mind. If true bliss had a flavor, it would be Sakura Haruno. Every gourmet meal in the world couldn't top her. She tasted like freedom because she was his cure, she freed him from his psychotic cage; she was the one thing that made him remotely sane. Because of her, he could do the ordinary, the things he once took advantage of. But all descriptive words in his vocabulary seemed to evade him when it came to answering this one question.

What did she taste like?

"…Better than words can describe."

* * *

><p>The house phone rang at breakfast on a Friday morning. Mid-chew, Sakura answered and it was the person on the other end that threw her off.<p>

It was the busiest woman on the planet. "Dr. Tsunade?"

"Good Morning, Sakura." The woman's voice was pleasantly professional as always. "How are you doing?"

"Fine…?" There was confusion listed in her one-worded answer. Even when the question was just a casual formality, Sakura remembered she was still talking to a doctor. "And a little tired, to be honest."

There was a pause at the other end. Thoughtlessly, the schoolgirl swirled her alphabet cereal in wait.

"Well, it _is_ fairly early…" Another pause and a shuffling of papers. "I've been meaning to ask you about your…accident. Is everything going okay?"

_This again? _Sakura impatiently tapped her spoon against the edge of the bowl. "I'd say so. The cut's all healed. No more kitchen accidents here."

"That's good… But I'd like you to come see me for a follow-up, anyway, if that's alright with you. We treated you as a critical patient, so I'm just trying to follow procedures and I know you don't normally come in on Sundays…," her voice dropped down into static silence.

"Uh, sure, if it's really that important."

"Wonderful, I'll see you this weekend. Oh, and have fun in school." _Fun? In school?_ The call went dead.

"I should've never answered…," she groaned, placing the phone onto its cradle and throwing away her plans of a freeing Sunday afternoon. She flexed her fingers, trying to feel for any aftermath of her "kitchen accident" and felt nothing. The doctor wasn't going to find anything new, so what was the point?

_Doesn't she have more important things to do?_

After a nearly fatal trudge to school, Sakura arrived to class on time to see Mr. Kakashi doing the same. Something in hell must've frozen over.

"Morning," Kakashi greeted, writing on the chalkboard. Between his tardy escapades and cryptic messages, Sakura wasn't left with much when it came to sizing up her masked, one-eyed teacher. It was clear to her that he had something against Sasuke, but she decided to play it cool.

"G'morning. You're here early, Mr. Kakashi."

"I know," he said, sounding surprised himself. "I had luck defrosting my car, so I came earlier than I anticipated."

"It's always better than coming in late…"

"YES, IT'S SNOWING!" yelled Naruto as he made his grand entrance. "This is fucking _awesome_." With a grin like that, he looked like he had just won the lottery. He gawked at the puffs of white December frost floating to the ground; the snowy blanket was a foot thick and it was only getting higher from there.

"It's been snowing, Naruto…," Kakashi said, dreadfully monotone. "And watch your language."

"The snow's been getting worse since last night," added the pinkette, joining him at the windowsill. "I had to walk in it just to get here…"

"You won't have to walk in it for long, Sakura! Christmas break, here we come!"

"Haha, sorry to burst your bubble, but you know, we still have a whole week left of school," she sighed and sadly glanced at the pearly white sky. "And all of our classes are going to give us piles of homework like they do every year."

They look at their teacher for confirmation; he held up the thickest packet they have ever seen.

"Aw, damn it…" He took a seat for the start of class. "Eh, it's not like I really do the homework anyway."

'_Lucky you,'_ Sakura thought sourly, watching the door from her desk when class began. Kakashi started the lesson with a festive review question on the board, but Sakura couldn't concentrate for the life of her. She waited and waited because something, _someone,_ was missing.

Sasuke wasn't here.

And he never missed one of their meet-up days.

Kakashi was droning on when Sakura reached for Naruto's attention.

"Where's Sasuke?" she whispered softly.

"Iunno, he said he was tired or something."

"So he just doesn't come to school?"

"Guess so."

'_Tired? That's his excuse?' _Sakura shook her head and grew deeply disappointed.

She floated on to her next class alone, embracing herself to make up for the indolent heating system of KHS. The one thing she was missing most was Sasuke's navy parka that he lent to her last week, the heavy downed coat that smelled like freshly fallen rain and his notable musk that drove her through infinite levels of insanity. Meanwhile, the coat's rightful owner was always cold to the touch, but he never cared to acknowledge or be bothered by it. For camouflage, he argued was the only reason he brought it to school; it would've been strange if he was comfortable in a short-sleeve shirt in the middle of December. He did end up taking it back much to her discontent.

"_It's not like y-you n-need it," she had complained, teeth chattering. _

"_But I do." He shrugged on the parka and held it against himself. Teasing her was his favorite pastime._

"_You're c-cruel," she stated, missing the warmth already._

"_Hn…It smells like you."_

Sakura spaced out ahead, remembering the expression of haughty delight on his face whenever he smelled the collar of his parka. Back then, any emotion was barely noticeable, but now, she learned to pay attention to every little idiosyncratic movement; for someone like Sasuke, a twitch of the lip spoke volumes.

"Heeey, wait up!" A voice called behind her.

She froze and wished it was Sasuke with his coat. And maybe a warm cup of coffee or tea. But it was Naruto, peppy as always despite the freezer they called a school. "Hey, you're lookin' kinda pale."

"I am?" She was aware, but she touches her cheek anyway. Ice cold. Her whole body shivered.

"Yeah, like a ghost."

"Or a vampire?"

Naruto laughed. "You're not freaked out or anything?"

"No, I think I'm used to it by now."

"Aha, that's great! Most people wouldn't be," he said, walking towards his locker. "Not that I really blame 'em."

"I guess I'm not like most people."

"That's for sure," he said, laced with some hinted implication, but Sakura failed to catch it, with her head miles and miles in the clouds. The blank, misty gaze in her eyes made Naruto snicker as he clawed through the trash in his locker.

"Thinking 'bout Sasuke?"

"Wh-what?" The comment got her blood going as it simmered beneath her skin.

"Haha! Look, you're not pale anymore."

Her blush spread like wildfire. "Why do you bring Sasuke into this?"

"You guys are spending _a lot_ of time together," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Was it supposed to be a secret?"

Her eyes widen. "I just didn't think anyone noticed…"

"Well, you must've fixed that loose screw in his brain because he's better now. He's been skipping psycho mode for the last month, he doesn't knock out all the time, he's not as bitchy," Naruto paused, counting with his fingers. "It's noticeable."

She squirmed. A sudden image of her locker being defaced flooded her mind. In his few shorts months at Konoha High, Sasuke somehow generated a wild cult of pubescent followers. And they weren't kidding when they said there was strength in numbers. When he would walk in the hallway, girl after girl would come up to him asking for his hand in marriage or to procreate or any other crazy schemes they could come up with. And Sakura was there every single time to witness it. And if those rabid, hormone-indulged hellions were psychotic enough to ask him out seven times a day on average – she did the calculations – they would jump at a chance to set his maybe-rumored-love-interest's locker on fire.

It irked her.

And for some reason, Naruto was finding this hilarious.

"Is everyone talking about us?"

"Not _everyone _everyone. More like _the group_, if ya know what I mean."

The group. His friends and her friends, including the little vampire faction hidden somewhere in the middle.

"…Basically, everyone that matters," Sakura brooded, foreseeing her impending doom. This was definitely going to get out to the public one way or another. "It's not like we're dating or anything…"

_As if Sasuke would ever date me… _

"We're just friends…? Right? It's complicated."

.

For the remainder of the day, she drifted through the hallways alone in the bustling crowd and mulled over the madness of her new life. Ever since she learned about vampires, she became a different person. She thought educating herself about their world would help her cope, but if anything, it just made living a lie more confusing. Her sense of normalcy was entirely altered and she really wished for something to make her feel _normal_ again.

"Sakura, my love!"

But that was not what she had in mind.

While this was a part of her old life, it was a part she was willing to cut out completely. She cringed, kept her head low, and kicked it into high gear, knowing whatever followed that voice would only throw her into a deeper mayhem.

"Please wait! My angel!"

"Eeek…!" Sakura screeched, throwing herself around the next corner. She scanned the crowd for the hideous bowl cut or an awful green jumpsuit. With no sign of him anywhere, she dashed towards her locker and planned a quick getaway before he returned. Lock in hand, she spun the dial faster than ever before.

"Hello, the most beautiful flower on the entire Earth!"

Her skin crawled considerably. Sakura turned her head in a robotic fashion and threw on a hesitant smile "Hi, Lee…"

Rock Lee, Konoha High School Senior. Fire Country's martial artist of the year in the high school division, making him stronger than he looks, but still light-years beyond creepy. Hair, hideous. Eyebrows, even worse. He talked like he was from another planet and he resembled a crossbreed between a human and a caterpillar.

"Your youthful beauty blossoms like no other, my Sakura!"

But when all was said and done, he was the quintessence of a true gentleman.

"Thanks, Lee…," Sakura said, grabbing her sketchbook for Drawing, the last period of the day. He bowed to her and extended a hand.

"Is Sasuke no longer accompanying you?" he asked, radiating excitement from every pore of his jump-suited body. "It would be my pleasure to escort you to class."

"Um…" She tried to find words to soften the blow of rejection, but the hope in his eyes was agonizing. Her insides wept as she said, "…Fine."

_It's not like it would kill me…_

Lee was beaming brighter than the summer sun as he walked side by side with the love of his life. Sakura winced further, cognizant of all the weird looks being thrown their way. Lee has always been that kid with an unorthodox way of doing just about everything. The way he talked, the way he dressed. Especially the way he showed his undying passion for the girl of his dreams. He was infatuated with Sakura ever since elementary school when they first met on the swing set during recess.

A true love story. The poor fool had been smitten ever since.

It was normal for them; he would ask her out, she would reject. Ever since the second grade. But as of late, he kept to himself, mostly because Sasuke was around his angel 24/7 and he was indeed a formidable opponent for Sakura's heart. Plus, Sasuke was scary as hell.

"I'm honored to share this walk with you," he confessed joyfully.

"I'm…glad…you feel that way."

Sakura wondered how Lee could possibly take such a one-sided love affair without losing his mind. He would always happily accept any gesture she would throw at him and he seemed content with it.

"Your sketches burst with youthful talent!" exclaimed Lee. He sifted through the pages of her book.

"They're not that great…"

"But they are! Something as marvelous as this should be publicly displayed for the entire world to see!"

She gave a pity laugh, but he really needed to move on to find someone who would appreciate him and every bizarre thing he did. She was sure someone somewhere would love him and the way he yells 'youthful' in every other sentence or how he never waxes his eyebrows or how he falls in love so deeply without getting love in return...

Then, her thoughts shifted and she began to question if she was exactly the same way.

They approach the art wing and he handed back her sketchbook. He seemed to have some kind of stress-induced muscle spasm as a fiery pink tint colors his face. Sakura already knew what was to come; she waited for it.

"Sakura Haruno," he proclaimed in a booming voice. Shamelessly, he took a knee and pulled out a rose from one of the many hidden pockets tailored into his outfit. The rose was new to the program. "My love for you shines brighter than the stars! Please, accept this token of my love and go out with me!"

He gave her a blinding, good guy smile.

He received a blank expression.

"I-I don't know…" The reaction was strikingly honest.

_Do I say yes and give him false hope? Or say no and reject him again?_

The fruitless attempts, the tender determination, the shine in his eyes…

They were kindred spirits, both hoping for something that may never happen, destined for a life of failed wishful thinking and pipe dreams. She felt her heart sink at the realization. He didn't move an inch, still posing like the good guy he is. His love, just like his posture, was so unwavering. If she was in his shoes, what would she wish for?

_Maybe he deserves a chance. _

She gingerly took the rose and felt the waxy smoothness of its petals.

_Maybe THIS is my only shot at a love life. _

He was still beaming at her and she half-heartedly simpered back.

_Maybe I should say yes…_

"I think–"

Sakura broke off when someone shoved her and abruptly cut in between them. She was about to spew some nasty remark when time trickled to a stop. The dominating presence took her breath away and she forgot how to form words. The raven eyes. The inscrutable expression.

Her very own pipe dream.

_Sasuke…_

For a guilty second, the air of her response was caught in her throat.

Sakura then noticed his officious hand slipping around her wrist and the forceful tug that followed. Sasuke continued to take her along in his direction without breaking stride, pulling her away. Everything happened so fast and in a rush, Sakura could still see her infatuated suitor on his knee, absolutely crushed. It pained her.

"S-Sorry Lee! We can talk later!"

"I'll wait for you forever, dear Sakura!"

And with that, Sasuke gripped her even tighter. When they arrived at her class, he abusively dropped her arm and glared at the jumpsuit down the hall. Sakura delicately rubbed her bruising skin.

"You can't just come out of nowhere and whisk me away. I was in the middle of a conversation."

"You're welcome," he spat, quietly aggravated.

"And what should I be thanking you for?" she spoke openly, unafraid.

"As if you really want to go out with him."

"Maybe I do," she challenged with a defiant leer. "What's it to you?"

"I wouldn't allow it."

"_What?_ Do you think I'm your property or something?"

She crossed her arms and gave him a fierce look, seeing what she interpreted as a hint of jealousy. He parted the locks of her hair and exposed the discolored skin on her neck. The only scar on her body.

"According to this…," he gestured, tenderly grazing her flesh. "You are."

The bite on her neck, she remembered initially gaping at it in a mirror for hours. It used to heal, but thanks to their little get-togethers, the injury kept reopening. It lingered on her skin almost-everlasting as a trademark and a memory of their deal.

And Sasuke ached to remind her.

"You are _mine_," he stated for the entire student body to hear. A mass of whispers erupted around them and Sakura felt the room jump a million degrees. Sasuke was the last person she thought would be responsible for outing them. She gulped down the air that somehow suffocated her.

So much for keeping this a secret.

"I can go out with whoever I want. You don't own me, Sasuke," she asserted herself, but inwardly swooned at his declaration. She tried not to show it and with practice, she's been improving. But her mouth could say what it wanted; in the end, her hurried heart always betrayed her. Sasuke heard the rhythm trapped under her ribcage and it was music to his ears.

"Little does she know," he monologued aloud, vanity dripping off every syllable. His fingers danced along her neck. "I own you."

"You're so damn _possessive_." She swatted at his hand, but to no avail.

"I am." His announcement, lined with hardened pride. He poked her in the forehead only to get his hand slapped away, successfully this time. "And he can't have you."

"Jerk," she growled, but then lowers her intensity as she stroked the edges of the rosy petals, avoiding his gaze. "Where were you this morning?"

"Busy."

"Doing…?"

"It doesn't concern you," he answered rather coldly, but she was used to it by now.

"Fine. But are we still on for tomorrow?"

"Aah." He didn't even remember what the plans for tomorrow were exactly, but he complied nonetheless. "I need to see you later."

"Okay," she agreed, clearly hearing the famine in his voice. "Oh, and can you give me a ride to the hospital on Sunday?"

"You don't volunteer on Sundays." He already knew her schedule like the back of his hand.

"I know, but Dr. Tsunade wanted me to come in and I can't exactly say 'No' to the chief of medicine." She shrugged apathetically. "It sounded important."

"Hm."

"So, I'll see you later?" she asked, skillfully sensing his growing indifference.

"I'll be at your locker."

And that was it.

He doesn't look over his shoulder. He doesn't show any emotion, no affection, no hugs or kisses. No falling on one knee, no flowers. Nothing.

In a second, he was gone.

She was left standing there, alone. With a wilting rose and a love life that was smothered beyond repair.

Sakura waved at nothing and the emptiness haunted her.

* * *

><p>Decorative candles lit up the chapel in a spectacular show, making the building ready to inhale the Christmas spirit. The twinkling lights danced among the shadows of hanging wreaths and garland twisting around the columns and ceiling beams. A massive tree towered over the altar and earned silent praise from Yamato for its stature and splendor. Gently, he closed the doors behind him, but the sound multiplied in the sheer vastness of the church.<p>

"Back in time for the holidays, I see…" Chiyo held up a freshly lit candle and stood it on the altar.

"There's so much more to learn," he said, admiring the ornaments adorning the tree. "I couldn't stay away." He was lured to the eye-catching display. An angel sat atop the bristling pines and glowed against the needled green. He could recognize the smell of fresh evergreens anywhere. "A real Fraser Fir, that's a nice touch."

"Plastic Christmas trees don't quite cut it."

"I couldn't agree more."

Back in the priest's chambers, they settled at a familiar table. Reaching into a grimy paper bag, Yamato pulled out a container filled with an organic cream soup and slid it towards the elder.

"You didn't have to do that." She seemed slightly ungrateful, but took a plastic spoon regardless.

"'Tis the season," he replied, holding up a container for himself.

"Well, thank you." The container's plastic lid popped off and the steam rose from below. "Where's that friend of yours? Haven't seen 'em in a while…"

"He's at school, exactly where he should be."

"He goes to school?"

"He's a teacher."

"Bah! Him, a teacher," she cackled. "He's too serious to handle children."

"He's only serious when he needs to be…"

The chowder spun along as she motioned the spoon around the edges of the container. She was quiet, bothered and deep in thought.

"If there was a good time for the two of you to get serious, it's now."

He had a taste and hummed in delight. "Don't worry," he reassured her. "We take hunting seriously."

"Then I really hope you're prepared. How's your doohickey coming along?"

"Almost completed."

"And the holy water?"

"I just gave it to him. He'll find it useful."

"That's good. Vampires are the strongest in the winter, you know," Chiyo reported, taking a virgin spoonful. "The longer nights, the shorter days. My brother once taught me that, being involved in this lunacy longer than I have."

"It's also the cloudiest time of the year," Yamato added, quite proud of himself. "…Saw that on the news this morning…"

"It's not wrong," she humored him, leaving her food aside. "I'm sure you heard that the sun is a vampire's leash. It restrains them and weakens them, but still allows some room for roaming. But in the winter, when the sun isn't as high in the sky and covered by clouds, the leash becomes close to useless. They begin to rely more on their instincts and desires. The closest thing to their demon selves."

"They're _almost_ unmanageable. I've been warned before. When we used to attend ANBU summits, they advised us to take extra precautions at this time of year," he recounted. Wrinkles formed on his stressed brow. "Vampires are incredibly active because they would 'recruit' for their hordes, or at least that's what they told us."

"That is true, so maybe those ANBU hunters are not complete imbeciles," she spat. Yamato simpered awkwardly. "Can you believe they never knew holy water was fatal to vampires? Honestly, they impudently underestimate God's will…"

"I'm sure they will find good ways to use it if they get their hands on it. Splattering grenades, modified guns."

"Barbaric. Why did you two quit again?"

"More like _laid off_." The chair squeaked as Yamato leaned back and scratched his head, embarrassed. "We had orders from the higher ups to stop hunting in Konoha. My life is there – my shop, my home – I couldn't just leave, so I settled as a permanent carpenter. But Kakashi was in it for more than the pay. He had an innate duty to it; his father was an operative, his grandfather. He didn't want to let it go… But it _did_ pay well, so I can sympathize."

"Then, he became a teacher."

"First, he travelled for a while, searching for an open mission, found nothing, _and then_ he settled for a teaching career. It's good for him, he needed the solid ground." Yamato eyed the empty seat at the table. "Actually, it's probably the most stable part of his life right now…"

"Heh," the woman snorted. "Life is too short for stability."

Yamato smiled. "What makes you say that?"

"Do you really want to live a long, tiresome life only to end up dying safely? I've lived long enough to realize that I would never want that." Chiyo shook her head. "My life has been very adventurous with many twists and turns. And when my time comes, God will allow me to rest peacefully. But in life…," she sighed, looking into space. "Commotion, indeed, makes life interesting."

He laughed, but soon restrained. "I'm sorry; I didn't expect that from you of all people, Priestess Chiyo."

"It's only natural to search for moments that make you _feel_. We are all pulled to those that make us feel alive even in times of darkness." Her wrinkles pulled against her face as she smirked. "Am I wrong?"

Yamato watched her twirl her nearly untouched soup. The bland whiteness of the cream continued spinning on and on, featureless and unharmed. He tried for another spoonful of his own only to realize the tastelessness.

It was no surprise she didn't like the offering.

He took her words and imagined a life of pure, uncontrolled emotion. A life of commotion.

Is that really what it means to be alive?

"No, I think you're very much right."

* * *

><p>After leaving Sakura in her class, Sasuke walked the halls and avoided going to his own. He was too restless, too eager, too <em>thirsty.<em>

He needed to feed.

He contemplated pulling her out of class, but he quickly learned his lesson after the last time he tried it.

"_We're going to miss the notes. AGAIN," Sakura nagged with Sasuke pinning her with nowhere to run._

_He touches her scar. "I really don't care." _

"_Well, I DO." She pushes him away and he stumbles, too distracted by his hunger. "Unlike you, I have to actually GO to college."_

_This speech again. _

"_And if I'm gone all the fricking time, I can say goodbye to any chance of going to medical school. Would YOU trust your life to a doctor that doesn't even show up? No, I didn't think so. You'll be dead before you even have a chance to sue. Well, I don't mean you specifically, but you get what I mean. AND that stupid week of detention – Yes, I am bringing it up again – won't just disappear, okay? It's going to be on my permanent record FOREVER. I repeat, FOREVER. And I don't__–"_

_He groaned. _

So for the past few days, she's been happily on time. And he's been impatiently waiting, but still waiting nonetheless.

Hands in pockets, Sasuke aimlessly strolled along the backside of the school, skipping class and killing time. As he stepped onto undefiled snow, he heard the crisp crunch under his feet. Footprints were left in his wake as he circled around the field and tried to clear his rampant thoughts. He noticed his wristwatch seemed to tick even slower when his needs were ablaze. It was mocking him incessantly. He was already on a deadly edge and Rock Lee, coming in his direction, was just the thing to set him off.

He was the last person he wanted to see.

The boy's bug-eyes looked strangely determined or demented – Sasuke couldn't figure out which – and he halted, standing at eyelevel with the vampire. The bushy brows on his forehead pulled together and he pointed an exigent finger straight ahead. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and felt the peculiar air of fear radiating off of the ignorant fool, but it wasn't the usual aroma he was used to.

For whatever reason, he was utterly disgusted by it.

"I'm glad I finally found you. You are indeed a worthy adversary, Sasuke Uchiha."

The vampire kept a poker-face and said nothing, but felt a growing vexation with a stubby digit pointed in his face.

"I challenge you!" The decree rang out in the empty field. "A duel! For Sakura's heart!"

Sasuke, slightly amused, questioned Lee's mental state: Was this kid for real?

For Sakura's heart?

Was this his death wish?

Judging by the stupid sparkle in his eyes, Lee was seriously ready to give up his life for a girl he could never be with. And Sasuke, now corrupt with another desire, had no problem with that. Vexed, he lowered the finger and crushed it, slowly, in his grip. The once-resolved face twisted into one of horror as Lee winced and vainly attempted to curve away from the ever-growing pain.

"I wo-won't lose…her," Lee declared, voice cracking under the fear that Sasuke detected and ultimately detested.

His irrational fear of losing the love of his life, Sakura.

How dare he, to think he even had the right feel anything so beyond him.

Sasuke sneered and spoke with disturbed poise, "…She was never yours to lose."

Trapped in an unbreakable hold, Lee's wrist bent back entirely, earning pops and cracks from the shattering bones and ligaments. His pain threshold was breaking as he breathed heavily to push away the agony. He dropped onto one knee as Sasuke continued to snap the fibers in his wrist. The human coughed with stifled gasps, but refused to shriek with defeat.

Sasuke allowed him to wither. "Sakura belongs to me."

"Y-You don't d-deserve Saku–Gaaah…!"

Then Lee was forced to his feet with a powerful grip that went straight for his neck. Sasuke raised him off the ground and squeezed without restraint.

"Say her name again, and I will _end_ you," he hissed under his breath, quickly losing his composure.

"I-…hngg!," Lee managed to wheeze, feeling the constriction growing tighter. He thrashed while his vision grew damaged with sporadic flickers. His world soon faded to black. Behind his eyelids, he saw her face, her smile. He needed air, desperately, to say words he's been dying to say.

"I…lo-…love… Sak…kur-ra…"

A hostile desire impulsively took over and suddenly, Sasuke was seeing red.

A lot of red.

.

They always make plans to be out together, but it was never a date. They were getting comfortable with each other, but never too close. They were intertwined, but never tangled.

And Sakura wanted nothing more than to change that.

Sure, they were friends. Friends with highly deranged benefits. He got whatever he wanted, then as soon as they were done with their secret meetings, it was back to being the emotionless, hard ass he is. And what did she get out of it? Dizziness, a sore neck, and a pressure in the pit of her stomach… and not the mention the mixed signals floating between them.

They were the reason the word "complicated" was invented.

She thought things were fine, but hell. They weren't.

It was then Sakura realized she wasn't like Lee, a guy without a greedy bone in his entire body, a guy who would buy flowers that symbolized more than just love, but his undying endeavor for her heart, a guy who would face rejection and come out resilient. He wouldn't rush her. He wouldn't push her to do anything she didn't want to do. He would stand aside, like a gentleman, and respect her boundaries.

But boundaries be damned.

Sakura had esuriency coursing through her veins and it wasn't ready to let up. The hunger she felt went beyond flowers and grand gestures and meaningless compliments and secret meetings and stupid coats. She wanted love and affection and Sasuke.

Love and affection_ from_ Sasuke.

She didn't to just be his personal blood bank. She didn't want to just _belong _to him.

She wanted him to belong to her all the same.

Then without warning, Hinata's voice broke through her newfound resolution.

"Huh?" Sakura asked, doe-eyed and off guard.

"I said," Hinata raised the volume of her natural softness, "Who are you drawing?" Her voice was still a whisper compared to Ms. Kurenai's blasting hippy music.

"Sai," she answered, pointing to the pale guy sitting in the middle of the room. He had been posing on a chair for the last fifteen minutes, displayed for all the drawers to see. "We're drawing models today, aren't we?"

"W-We're supposed to…" Hinata snuck a peek at Sakura's sketchbook. "But that doesn't really look like Sai…"

"C'mon Hinata, what do you expect? I'm not that much of an art…ist…," her voice trailed off, noticing the outlandish errors on her charcoal piece. The brows were too knit together, seeming irate and disturbed. The jaw line, shapely compared to Sai's face.

"N-No! I'm not saying it's bad. You… barely looked up at all, so I was just wondering…if you were drawing from memory?"

In the drawing, the lines of hair were disarrayed and spiked up entirely. The eyes, dark and penetrating – endless, like the universe. Her universe, which revolved around only one thing.

_Damn it, this is–_ "Yeah… I don't really know what I'm doing."

Sakura ripped the cotton fiber page from her book and crumpled it without a second thought.

"Ah, Sakura! You don't have to throw it out."

She plodded over to the garbage pail and tossed the wad carelessly inside. The way the page folded and crinkled, she could still make out one of his flawlessly drafted eyes, studying her as she walked away.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to criticize," Hinata apologized when her friend retook her seat.

"Don't worry, it was the good kind of criticism." The crumbling medium left ghostly marks on the fresh, white page. She focused attentively on the shape of her subject's nose, ears, hairline. "I'm supposed to draw what I see and not what I imagine, right?"

"Mhmm, that's what Ms. Kurenai taught us."

"Then that's what I should be doing."

Whether it was pure trickery of the mind or from her actual line of sight, the only thing she could see was _him_. No matter what she did, he was being reborn into a black and white art form right in front of her. The lines seemed to create themselves, reliving her recent failure that rotted in the trash.

It was no use.

"Goddamn it," she cursed, tearing the page with a violent force and stomping over to the trash for the second time today. On her way back, she passed the door and felt the atmosphere grow dim. It was the strangest sensation, but she recognized it nonetheless. It was attracting her and for a split second, an image of Sasuke ran through the back of her mind. She knew couldn't ignore it.

"Ms. Kurenai, I need to go to the bathroom," she yelled over the music. The black-haired woman swayed her head in time to the music and missed the girl's request. Sakura didn't wait for an answer. She went alone, and was now in that part of the school that seemed to be lifeless and maybe even haunted. The eerie silence tickled her skin and made her hairs stand on ends, but she did not dare to slow down. She followed an empty, unfamiliar corridor and wondered where her feet where taking her.

Gravity was pulling her towards a set of double doors leading to the far edge of the football field. Something in her mind was screaming at her to venture into the cold. Wary, she peaked through the small window and saw a blur of green that made her heart stop. Urgently, Sakura threw open the door and found Lee, crumbling on all fours with a beaten face and a bloodied mouth. Sakura gasped at his battered appearance. She rushed to him, thunderous beats in her ears, and tried to help him up. She then realized she was going to do more harm than good. His face was covered in blood, bruises, and God knows what else. Despite the black-and-blue eye, Lee looked up at his aggressor, leisurely sauntering towards them.

Sakura followed his line of sight and for what seemed like the first time in centuries, she had never been more pained to see the monster coming her way.

_Sasuke?_

Lee's wrist was badly warped, making him lean awkwardly on his other appendages that were luckily still intact, but blue with ice. Knowing Sasuke's abilities, he could've ripped Lee apart in a second, but Sakura thought Sasuke had that side of him under control.

She was wrong.

_I don't understand._

And she never saw how deep his sadistic nature ran.

_Sasuke was supposed to be getting better. What happened?_

Sasuke kept on, appearing unscathed and disastrously beautiful as always. But Sakura watched as his pent up emotions distorted his features, fully displaying his fury. It shocked her because this much zeal was only present when he was feeding, when he was fulfilling a desire. But was it blood he was after? Something inside him must have snapped. With a good distance left in between them, he stopped, cracked his neck and glared ahead. Sakura swallowed the bile rising up in her throat.

_Lee's dying. Lee's dying._

To repeat it over and over was the only way she could believe it.

"Sasuke, why…?" she stammered. He couldn't hear her, even if they were face to face. He was that far gone.

"S-Saku…," Lee sounded out, coughing up blood that splatters onto putrid white. A shaking, feeble hand reached out to her. But bitter words pierced through.

"Don't. _Fucking._ Touch. Her."

Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing.

_Me?_

_Lee…is dying…because of me?_

_Why?_

Sakura grew frantic, feeling the heavy atmosphere drop onto her like a guilty conscience. Sasuke had a sickness and she was his cure. She was supposed to be the one thing to fix him, but he was breaking, cracking. He was relapsing and coming back worse than ever before.

_He's doing this because of me?_

Somewhere along the line, she became his poison.

Lee went limp and fainted from the pain, the cold, defeat. Sakura shot a fleeting glance at him and felt her heart welt up with grief. He became collateral damage, forced into a destructive path because of her. The guilt was asphyxiating. And everything was moving by so fast, she couldn't pull coherent thoughts together. She was running only on emotions.

She used all her strength to position him against the wall, hoping he'll wake up sometime soon so he could get away. Far away.

"Sasuke," she stated, standing and inventing strength in her voice. It came out sounding weak and terrified to her own ears. She stepped into the rushing blizzard, the snipping crystal air. Everything else was silent around her. "W-Why are you doing this?"

He didn't move.

And something inside of her brought her here for a reason.

Sakura met face to face with her weakness. The world started to fade away as they shared another instant together. But this wasn't a part of their norm. It was the two of them, alone, in dead space. Sakura pleaded with herself to stop shaking, but with Sasuke so consumed by his desire to kill, it was an impossible feat. He finally exposed his inner, bloodthirsty murderer, the part of him she was dying to ignore, but he was here.

Undeniably in front of her.

His eyes were dead. Merciless.

"I know you're…thirsty," she whispered calmly, carefully. "But you can't do this to him… He's-"

"He wants you," he growled with a low, menacing tone. "He _needs_ to die." He clenched the muscles in his jaw and an instinctual possessiveness blinded him with dark, poisonous thoughts.

_No one else can have her._

_No one else can touch her. _

_No one else can taste her._

_She's __**mine**__. _

"He can't have me…"

Sasuke was hypnotized by the way her lips moved to create such words. It was perfect. Everything about her was so perfect. Perfection that was only meant for him.

"…Because I'm already taken," she said, gazing into the depth of his eyes, solemnly.

_Why was her voice so soothing?_

"So please, stop it… Let me help. I can fix you," she pleaded with her eyes. Such warmth.

_Help me? Fix me?_

He turned away, unable to stand it.

"…You can't fix me Sakura."

"But I want to!"

"You can't fix what isn't broken. This is who I am."

"It doesn't have to be. You can change!" Her voice was shaking, shrill with desperation. "Please, hear me. I'm begging you. Please." He watched her drop into the snow, on her knees, and her hands fell in front of her. She gripped the snow under her fingers that were growing raw and numb like the rest of her.

"Please, don't kill him. Not because of me."

Sakura looked up at him. He tilted his head in such an angelic fashion and a subtle softness appeared on his face. For a fleeting moment, she reached him, but the moment died when his smile turned into a deceiving leer and the boiling desire to kill anyone in his way manifested yet again. This was natural.

His vampire temperament was the only thing he could feel.

"…Then I'll just kill him for myself."

"SASUKE, NO!"

In a second, he disappeared. In a second, a howling scream rang out into the field.

But it wasn't Lee.

Sakura spun around and through the blinding frost, she saw black blood tainting the purest white. She yelped as a wooden stake ripped through Sasuke's chest, stopping him in his tracks.

"SASUKE!" Without thinking, she ran to him, feeling the blast of ice pelting her in the face and the crushing snow beneath her feet. Her legs felt like lead and her face felt like ice, but her heart was on fire.

With two hands, he gripped the post to remove it, but his hands hissed on contact. Another blaring rumble seeped from his throat as the burning sensation destroyed the flesh on his palms. He planted his hands into the snow, trying to cease the excruciating heat. Blistering sores appeared on flaming palms, exposing the dark gore under his once pale skin. The fiery stake was eating away at his insides and burning him alive.

"Sakura…!" he snarled as she struggling to reach him. Her eyes widened at the mass of blood pooling around him and his damaged hands that dangled at his sides. She continued to sink into the rising snow as she closed the distance between them.

"Don't help him, Sakura." Kakashi, wielding a crossbow loaded with another stake. "I told you, you're not safe with him." The hunter cocked the bow and took aim at the wounded vampire, kneeling powerlessly on the floor. "No one is safe."

"No! I won't let you!" She ended up next to Sasuke. "You're going to have to shoot me first!"

"Are you choosing sides?" Kakashi lowered his weapon when a hint of pink came into his sight. "It would really pain me to hurt my own student, Sakura."

"What _the fuck_ are you doing?" Sasuke growled – Sakura standing over him, arms held out in defense.

"I-I don't know."

_I can't control my own body. I can barely think straight. I can only __**feel.**_

_I don't really know what I'm doing…_

"But I do know that I can't let you die here, Sasuke."

_You'll disappear forever. You'll be gone and I can't let that happen._

"Because I can fix you," she declared, straightening her posture. Unwavering, like her heart.

_Is this a human thing?_

_To give up your life for someone you could never be with?_

_Am I really this selfless… or greedy?_

"And I will die over and over again to prove it to you."

"You're making a mistake, Sakura," Kakashi warned, lifting the bow.

No hesitation; another stake flew in their direction with no signs of stopping. Her life did not flash before her eyes because her entire life was right beside her. She didn't cry because this wasn't a mistake she would ever regret. She never felt more alive than in this one moment. This felt so right.

To them, this moment was natural.

_What am I?_

_Selfless? Greedy? _

_Or just really, really stupid?_

* * *

><p>The Moment<p>

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**Please Review.**


	18. The Escape

_It was snowing just the same around this time last year. I remember this one time I was drinking hot chocolate in front of the living room television and I had a tacky, woolen sweater on that kept me warmer than a day in July. On the TV, there was this really crappy Christmas commercial with a Santa that was too skinny and a pinup girl that was too fat and they kept singing out of tune about a sale at Konoha's downtown shopping district. My mom was really eager to go. _

_I wasn't. _

_She nagged me like she always did and I told her that if that same commercial came on again this year, I would go with her. We would go spend the 12 days of Christmas shopping for presents for each other because it was always just the two of us. And we'd go last minute and get lost in the happy chaos of the holiday spirit and that would be how we would celebrate. That's how I imagined it this year._

_But I haven't been watching TV lately, so I don't know if that commercial ran again._

_And I haven't really been at home, so I don't know if my mom still wants to go._

_And I haven't been drinking hot cocoa or wearing my tacky sweater or feeling warmer than a day in July. _

_And sometimes I find myself wondering what I, the old me – the girl who did all those things – would be doing right now at this very second. _

_As if in some parallel universe, that girl still existed. _

_The girl who would spend countless hours on the phone talking to her best friend. The girl who would slave over a research paper weeks before it's due only to finish the night before. The girl who thought the end of the world involved a bad hair day and mismatching shoes. The girl who secretly enjoyed those crappy Christmas commercials because they really put her into the Christmas mood._

_Would she be strong enough to stand here and risk her life?_

_I doubt it. _

_And right now, a million thoughts are running through my mind. And a million other scenarios are sprouting out and scrambling my imagination. And a part of me wished that one of those scenarios would just take over the world and pull me into safety. That way, I could become that girl again and I could just sit at home with a nice cup of cocoa and watch TV and go shopping with my mom and just live a normal, average life. The life I once hated and took advantage of. The life I missed. _

_But that version of me is dead now._

_And it has been for the longest time. So before the rest of me goes with it, I'd like to say:_

_Here lies the weak, cowardly Sakura Haruno._

_She's gone now and she's never coming back._

* * *

><p>[18] The Escape<p>

* * *

><p>Snowflakes stopped mid-air. Breathing ceased. The world slowed down.<p>

The weight of her entire life was resting on these next few seconds.

Eyes were closed, but her ability to perceive everything was beyond amazing. Violent hissing of the winter air. Rosette locks slapping against her face. The energetic boom of a hero's voice…?

"Hey BASTARD! You're gonna let a teenage girl save you?"

The wounded vampire cringed at his words.

The shot was moving fast, but vampires moved faster.

Before Sakura knew it, the earth moved under her feet and she was on the ground, eating snow and feeling infinitely secure. A trickle of black landed on her cheek as she saw the face of a fallen angel. Sasuke pulled her down by the ankle and crouched protectively over her a split second before fatal impact, keeping her between him and the blanket of white. She ended up on her back from a movement her mind couldn't process.

In a flash, Naruto intervened, grabbing the deadly, airborne stake with one swift hand, an agile reflex. Sakura took a second to gawk in utter amazement.

He literally came out of nowhere.

"Naruto Uzumaki, saving the day once again!" he laughed carelessly, spinning the post like a baton. The laughter ended. The wood dropped from his grip. His fingertips were frying as the skin receded to his knuckles, igniting his bones. "Holy _shit_, that fucking BURNS."

The hunter cheered behind his mask. He couldn't believe his luck. The damned parasites were flocking together like absentminded sheep. Exactly what he wanted – Sasuke, he knew was a target from the beginning, Sakura the unsuspecting player for the wrong team, and Naruto, Count Hero?

That was a twist.

With rapid dexterity, he drew another stake from his belt and loaded it. His days of practice paid off as he easily took aim at the blonde who was flailing his hand in the air like a child – an scatterbrained, bloodsucking child. Peering down the line of his bow. Holding his breath.

Kakashi steadied.

Ready.

Set.

"…Holy water," a voice spoke from behind. "That would explain it."

Kakashi, dazed, lost balance, but reacted without pause. He urgently thrust the back end of his weapon to the presence following him; he failed to connect and only caught the air. Next up, hand-to-hand combat, an ANBU requirement; his hunting instincts were alive and well. Relentlessly, Kakashi spun around, sending a high, powerful kick to the intruder's face. On impulse, the intruder lifted his forearm, blocking the hunter's attack that moved in slow motion to his superior eyes. A thousand openings left Kakashi vulnerable as nimble hands jabbed at valued pressure points throughout the human's body.

He dropped to the ground in seconds.

His opponent reached into his pocket, retrieving a small, delicate vile of water. The boy swished it around and smelled the putrid sanctity of the liquid inside. He eyed an untouched stake, frozen over with a coat of acid, before saying, "The stakes are laced in holy water. Careful."

"Yeah thanks, Hyuuga. That's somethin' you gotta tell us _sooner_," Naruto pained, throwing his fist into the icy softness beneath him.

In the distance, Sasuke was on his hands and knees, producing deep, thunderous groans that shook the air. Sakura, still caged under him, winced at the desperation lining his voice. She silently yelped as the vampire fiercely took her hand and planted it on the stake; to her, it felt like soggy, iced wood and nothing more. With his hand covering hers, they yanked it out, but his trembling didn't stop there. Another hiss, he doubled over, bleeding wildly from the gaping hole. He coughed out another pint of blood into the snow.

"Sa-Sasuke!" She sat upright, taking all of his weight and gripping his charred hand. He squeezed back and leaned into her, devouring her scent. He earned comfort from her touch and he severely hated it.

He hated himself.

Protection from a_ human_? It was disgusting. A weakness. Something utterly wrong.

She wasn't his safehaven, she wasn't his savior. She was a meal, a possession, and nothing more. It was the smell of her that was drawing him in, he convinced himself. There could be no other reason.

Neji and Naruto appeared next to them. Sakura acknowledged their presence, but she couldn't keep her vision straight. As the adrenaline faded, the snow towered around her. Teeth chattering, she asked, "W-What n-n-now?"

"We need to leave," Neji spoke gravely, tossing her his jacket. Sakura slid it on, but it didn't smell quite right. "We don't have time to sit around. More hunters could be headed this way. And the holy water is doing a quite number…"

"But what do we do with Mr. Stakes over there?" Naruto asked, rubbing his injured hand. "And where the hell did Bushy Brows come from?"

Sakura rummaged around for an explanation only to look at Sasuke who was in too much pain to speak.

"Sorry!" Suddenly, eyes were on Hinata, running this way. "I… tried to get here…as quickly as possible," Hinata panted, catching her breath. In her hand, she had her phone that carried a text from her cousin. When she regained composure, she quickly lost it again, traumatized by the bloodshed. "W-What happened?"

"Hunters."

She was shocked still. "H-Here? In Konoha?"

"I'll explain in more detail later, but I need you to take care of Lee. Send him to the nurse, the hospital, anywhere. He's a liability and we can't have him lying around. Naruto, get Sasuke. I'll take Kakashi."

Everyone dispersed except for the two sitting on the ground. Sakura was disheartened as Naruto inched closer, ready to take Sasuke from her arms. She fought the stiffness in her limbs as she stood with him. As Naruto reached out, Sasuke stubbornly pushed past the both of them, limping and gripping the hole in his chest. He stumbled despite his pride and Naruto sped over to stabilize him.

"_What the-_ Do you wanna crawl home, tough guy? We're trying to help you."

"I never…asked for your help," Sasuke spat lowly, shoving his friend away for the second time. '_Not from you. Not from Sakura…'_ Naruto tumbled backwards into the snow as Sasuke kept on marching with faltering steps.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled. "What's your problem!"

"_You_," Sasuke hissed, gripping his chest for dear life. "This wouldn't have fucking happened…if you stayed out of it."

"What th' hell are you mad at her for?" Naruto pushed himself off the ground with guns blazing. "Stop being a DICK and use your head! Sakura was freezing her ass off to risk saving YOURS!"

"WHO THE FUCK SAID I NEEDED TO BE SAVED!"

"OH MY BAD, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD IT COVERED, DYING ON THE FLOOR LIKE THAT."

"HEY! 'If people are trying to protect you, appreciate it,' Sound familiar, Sasuke?" Sakura quoted sternly, stomping over to Sasuke and standing face to face.

"Tch…I only said that to shut you up."

"Well, I am NOT shutting up, so you better learn to appreciate ME, YOU SELF-IMPORTANT ASSHOLE!" she roared, placing her hands on her hips. Naruto gawked at Sakura's dauntlessness because, for a human, she was either a moron or a genius to stand up to a raging vampire with an oversized ego. "And where the hell do you get off being such a JERK? If it weren't for me or Naruto, you'd be DEAD. Like DEAD, DEAD. So appreciate THAT."

Sasuke, looking murderous and spiteful, scowled.

"If you have a death wish, that's fine with me… It's your _fucking _funeral."

He moved past her and used his last bit of strength to take a pathetic step, but he could only keep up the painless façade for so long. A scorching pang shot through him, making him fumble, and unfortunately into her arms. He flinched with every unbearable tremble and Sakura gripped him tight, feeling the fabric of his coat slip between her fingers.

She wasn't going to let go.

"Deny it all you want, Sasuke," her tone softened. "…you need our help."

"…"

Shit, he hated himself.

He was growing limp and weighty when Naruto took one of his arms and threw it over his shoulder. They walked and Sakura unwound as Sasuke's new keeper made the action look effortless. As they trudged to the back gate that led to the parking lot, Naruto gave Sakura a little wink for her frank outburst; it looked like Naruto wasn't the only one with guts around here. Sakura returned the flattering gesture and trailed the two. They met with Neji and Hinata who were planning the next move.

"I'll call Ko. He can drive us to the hospital," Hinata offered, tapping the screen of her phone.

"Go without us. We can't get too many people there involved," Neji stated, eyeing Sasuke's poor condition. He leaned the unconscious Lee against the chain-linked fence and kept Kakashi balanced on his shoulder.

"I-I don't think I can carry Lee by myself."

"Ko will help you. We can meet you after."

Hinata nodded and spoke into the receiver.

Neji turned to address the rest of the group. "In the meantime, we will find another way to get home..."

"Why can't your driver just drop us off at your place?" Naruto asked.

"It's out of the way and Lee is in critical condition; we don't have the time to waste. Besides, Sasuke still has his car in the parking lot. Isn't that right, Uchiha?"

Sasuke had his head hanging, bangs covering his face, but Sakura knew his expression wasn't a pleasant one. One, he was just verbally bitched slapped by a girl. And two, his precious Oto-Viper was going to be covered in blood, grime, and murky water, but as of now, he was in too much anguish to argue otherwise. Gingerly, he reached into his back pocket and Naruto was thrilled to see the glamorous shine from the Viper's keys.

"Oooh, I'll drive!"

Sasuke quickly tossed them to Neji, but recoiled from the aching aftermath.

"WHAT? Why the hell does he get to drive?"

Neji snatched the keys mid-air and twirled them fabulously. "We all know you're a terrible driver, Naruto."

"Says the guy with a chauffeur! Do you even know _how_ to drive?"

"Guys! Can we just go?" Sakura chimed in. "It's freezing… Plus, the last bell's gonna ring any minute now. And if that happens…" She looked to Lee, then Kakashi, then to Sasuke. "…We're _really_ screwed."

"_Fine_…" Naruto jutted out his bottom lip and crossed his arms. "But I call shotgun! Heheheh…"

"Rghh…," Sasuke grumbled, drooping his head even lower.

"Ko's on his way," Hinata announced. "W-We'll be okay from here."

"Then…," Neji started, activating his Byakugan to survey their route. "Shall we?"

.

The stress simmered down as they set off, meeting the snowstorm head on. Hinata, along with Konoha High, vanished in the rearview mirror. The roads were clogged with ice, pushing Neji to drive slower than usual. After some time, they reached the heart of the city and they soon trickled to a stop as traffic congested the streets. Naruto toyed with the dashboard as hisses of intermittent radio stations buzzed through. Sakura, in the backseat, rested against the car door, letting Sasuke take up the remaining space. He was barely awake and desperately needed blood and rest.

In the meantime, he decided to take advantage of his makeshift pillow.

"What are you doing?" Sakura whispered. Her cheeks flushed as he pushed his back against her. Sasuke nestled comfortably, taking her warmth for himself.

"Resting," he answered plainly, keeping one hand planted on his wound. Hesitant at first, she adjusted herself behind him and his head lowered onto her lap. His entire body relaxed and his eyes closed; deep exhale, then completely still. With their intimate backseat tendencies in mind, her fingers got lost in his hair. She started playing with his wispy, midnight spikes and the fringe framing his face. She couldn't stop staring. At a time like this, he had a quiet splendor to his features, something peaceful and gorgeous; it was like the killer inside him melted away.

But with every deadly flare and blinding rage, was that even possible with Sasuke? Just when she thought they were making progress, just when she thought they were becoming better friends…

He snapped.

And everything fell into ruins after that.

"Thank God you found us," Sakura commented, keeping her heartbroken eyes on her sleeping prince. "I…I don't know what would've happened if you guys didn't show up."

"Well, it was no coincidence." Neji kept his gaze on the road. "Sasuke was absent last period even though I caught a glimpse of him in the hallway. Something was bound to happen."

"But no one ever goes to _that_ football field. Some students don't even know it exists…but you knew." She squinted her eyes, thinking. "You knew exactly where we were."

"…Because I saw _everything_."

Sakura's eyes went wide. If Neji saw, there's no telling who else could've seen. "H-How?"

"The _Byakugan_, the all-seeing eye. A vampire trait, so no need to worry."

"A vampire technique, of course…," Sakura relaxed. "Sasuke never told me vampires have that ability…"

"Not all do. Exclusive to only the Hyuuga clan. It gives us an incredible field of vision with a degree of telescopic sight. Hinata should know about it."

"That must be really useful," Sakura admired, fancying the potential of this Byakugan. "How about you, Naruto? The Uzumaki clan? What kind of eye technique do they have?"

Neji smirked.

"Nothing!" Naruto fumed. "Stupid ancestors messed up the gene pool."

"The Senju clan, the Uzumaki clan's relatives, had the Rinnengan. But they were _very_ _very _distant relatives, so the trait died along the way," Neji clarified.

"Way to rub it in, asswipe," Naruto grumbled under his breath. "But I don't need special googly eyes to be a badass! Right, Sakura?" He turned in his seat and flashed a heroic smile.

Sakura chuckled. "Suuure, let's go with that."

"Oi, oi! I saved your life TWICE. I think I deserve a reward for this…" He scratched the invisible stubble on his chin and took a dramatic pause.

Sakura played along. "Mmm, what kind of reward? Would a 'thank you' be okay?"

"How 'bout…hmm… I don't know… a kiss?" He pointed to his whiskered cheek. "Right here! Plant one on m–AGH!" Naruto violently jerked forward and choked behind the seatbelt the second someone kicked the back of his chair. "Whatha f–"

"Shut up, Naruto," Sasuke murmured resentfully. "…You're so… loud." Sakura raised her brow as Sasuke snuggled his face closer before falling into a static state.

"I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE TALKING HERE!" Naruto spat wildly. "Feh, you're such a jealous bastard. I was only joking around…"

Sasuke didn't say anything, seemingly undeterred by Naruto's banter. The blonde muttered curses before finally finding a radio station and settling into his seat. The rapid tempo of the song scattered the mood and the beat of her heart. Carefully, Sakura played with Sasuke's hair again and noticed the disturbed expression still haunting his face.

_First Lee, now Naruto…_ Sakura twisted locks of his hair around her finger, nervous with thought. _If he was in the right condition, would he have slaughtered Naruto too?_

_Is he really jealous? _

Gradually, the muscles in his face relaxed. He appeared passive, back to his normal, emotionless self. Putting the issue behind him.

_Or maybe he really is just a light sleeper…_

Sakura sighed heavily.

Was it wrong that a little piece of her was rooting for his twisted sense of jealousy?

The car bounced over a mound of snow. Sakura whipped her head around at the sound of a startling thump behind her. Despite the blasting heat, she shivered.

"Are you sure it's okay that we put Kakashi in the trunk?"

"It's not like he'll wake up," Naruto answered, bored from watching the snow fall around them. "Neji's got it covered."

"He'll wake up hours from now, at the very least, giving us plenty of time to strategize." Even so, he shifted uncomfortably in the driver's seat.

Hunters were back in town. Lifers were getting involved. Sasuke needed to recover. Konoha was falling to shit. They were back to traveling at 5 miles-an-hour in the impossible city traffic.

And not the mention the snow was getting worse.

Neji gripped the wheel and narrowed his cloudless eyes at the red light before them.

"…If we ever make it home, that is."

* * *

><p>Hinata was left with damage control.<p>

With a glove in place, Hinata picked out a forgotten stake covered in snow. Timidly, she tapped the edge of the wood with a naked hand. A tiny sprinkle of heat, but generally harmless. She wiped her forehead; it was good to know that, in her case, holy water wasn't as toxic. Focusing on the clean-up, she kicked powdered frost over the spots splattered in black and red, secretly hoping the continuing blizzard would do the rest.

"Hinata? What are you doing out here?"

Mr. Asuma, draped with winter attire, had a blazing cigarette at his fingers. Hinata hid the stake behind her back and cursed her dumb luck. She needed an excuse and fast, but she wasn't good at thinking logically under pressure; that was Neji's job.

"N-Nothing." The best she could come up with.

"Doesn't look like nothin'," he answered, smoke rushing from his lips. "Did you hear the final bell go off?"

"O-Oh, yeah. I just heard it," she lied, shuffling the powder under her feet.

"Ahh… It was 20 minutes ago. You know it's Friday, why don't you go home?"

'_Why don't you?_,' she thought instantly – he didn't seem like he was in a hurry to go home, either – but sweet Hinata Hyuuga would never speak such a quick retort to a teacher.

"I…am going home. My ride is coming. He…um, normally picks me up here."

Asuma was wary of her odd behavior. He strained to see the back gate, the only outlet to the parking lot. Hinata instantly regretted speaking. Lee was still lying by the gate and if he sees him–

"Miss Hinata!" Ko called, waving from the chain-linked fence. She noticed he was alone, no suggestion of a green jumpsuit anywhere. Relief never felt so marvelous.

"Huh, how 'bout that…" Asuma said. "You should get going."

Hinata nodded and promised a raise for Ko in the near future. She waved a quick goodbye before running, legs feeling unreal in the obtrusive snow. When Ko and Hinata were in contact, she took a minute to catch her breath.

"Is…Lee…," was all she could get out.

"In the car. Ready to be taken to the hospital, Miss Hinata."

"Thank you," she breathed out, dread slowly leaving her system.

.

Asuma received one fleeting glance and he waved from across the field before heading inside. He scratched the bottom of his boots against the tattered mat and said, "Well, he's not out there…but I could've sworn I saw him going in this direction. He _was_ in a hurry, I know that much."

"Where does this hallway lead to?" asked Yamato, peering into a discarded room.

"Nowhere. This is the _restricted_ part of the school." Asuma tapped the end of his cigarette. "Vacant classrooms, foul custodian closets. All from nasty budget cuts. Though I don't see why Kakashi would be anywhere near here."

"Something tells me that boy's gotten himself into a pickle," Chiyo said, listening to an aching chill in her bones. Her body never lied to her before.

"Damn right, he's in a pickle. He stole one of my crossbows," Yamato seethed, a very rare moment for him. "It was a new one, too. Ahh, he's going to ruin the finish, my hard work–"

"A crossbow? What for?"

"Don't you know?" Chiyo's face went serious. "Vampires, boy."

"Pfft, vampires, this shit again." Asuma threw back his shoulders in mocking laughter. "Yamato, ANBU higher-ups announced it themselves: _There are no vampires in Konohagakure. _What's done is done." The cigarette stub reached the floor and suffocated under his foot. "When are you going to let it go?"

"They only said that because the vampires in Konoha have close ties to the Kages. ANBU was running scared and had no other choice but to shut down operations."

"And you and grandma think it's wise to go against their call…" Asuma shook his head disapprovingly. "You're insane. The both of you. ANBU will silence you before the vampires even get a crack at it. The Unit likes operating in secret and with you guys going rogue, you'll blowing their cover."

"But that's the point. If we get the Kages' attention, we can take them down. They're hiding in the shadows just as much as the Unit is and if this keeps up, neither side will ever see the light," Yamato preached, earnest and true. "THIS was the purpose of ANBU. To rid the world of vampires, mass murders who are getting away with their crimes every single day."

"Alright, how much is Kakashi paying you to spew this bullshit?"

"This isn't about the money, Asuma! It's about righting a wrong! Justice! Can you understand that?"

"I understand that you've gone off the deep end," Asuma threw his hands up in defeat and headed back. "I don't know what kind of shit Kakashi's giving you, but he's been going on and on about this ever since he took the job here…"

"Because this high school is teeming with ex-operatives. If we get them all together, we have a shot–"

"This is why you came here? To rally support? No. Hell no. Hell fucking no. Kurenai and I dropped that life years ago and we're building a _new_ life – a normal life with normal jobs with a normal family…," Asuma choked as turned one final time without looking back. "…Keep us out of it."

Then, he was out of sight.

"Heh, I hope your other colleagues react better than that coward," Chiyo muttered callously.

"He's not a coward, he's just needs some convincing…they all do," Yamato defended, running his fingers through his hair. "This is why we need to find Kakashi, he can convince anyone. He understands the gravity of the situation like no one else can believe. And with you on our side, Lady Chiyo, we can't fail."

"Where did this optimism come from?"

"Late nights… soul searching…" He punted a clump of plaster as they headed back to the lobby. "It feels good to have a purpose, Lady Chiyo. And this isn't a purpose I'm willing to pass up. It's a chance that comes once in a lifetime, the chance to finish what we've started."

"God will always give you a purpose, Yamato. All you need to do is listen for your calling."

"To be honest, I'm not much of a _believer_," he confessed, bashfully scratching his cheek. "But maybe this is my calling."

"It's God's plan. He works in mysterious ways…"

"I believe life just happens."

"God is the creator of life and all who live it…"

"Let's just agree to disagree," he sighed. "Once we find Kakashi, we can present our plan to the rest of the operatives and we can start up a real hunting party… and then maybe I can get my bow back."

* * *

><p>It was dark by the time they arrived.<p>

Sakura stirred in her unexpected sleep as the car stalled to a stop. When she woke, her neck felt stiff, but she was relieved to see Sasuke still resting peacefully on her lap. Neji opened the door and ushered them out of the car; Sasuke, barely conscious, leaned against him. Naruto popped the trunk opened and threw the limp body over his shoulder.

"Where…are we?" Sakura asked, recovering from her drowsy stupor. She rubbed her eyes, but she only saw darkness besides the white on the ground. This street was void of any lights; no streetlights, porch lights. Even the neighbors were cloaked in black. It was creepy.

"The Uchiha Manor." Neji started towards the door. "But I'm sure you've heard of this place before. Konoha's infamous Dead End?"

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. "We're at _the_ Dead End? Sasuke lives _here_?"

"Me too. I'm sorta renting a room," Naruto added, following the group.

Sakura was wide awake at this point and her eyes were finally adjusting. She remembered seeing this place the night of the party, the night she died and without a doubt, she remembered: it was the mother of all haunted houses – the one that stood in the shadows, nerve-wracking and fear-provoking. The Vampires were living at a dead end. _The _dead end.

In a way, it seemed fitting.

In the distance, the stately residence dominated the ghastly horizon. Darkened skeletons of bare, dying trees sprung up from the curb. The yard was vast and fenced off by elegant iron fencing that appear rusted and aged. The whole estate had an age-old sophistication to it, a kind of style Sakura could never fully appreciate without learning its history.

When they neared the porch, she had a view of the house up-close. Pieces of the handrails were broken off. Windows were cracked, crushed, and in some cases, missing completely. The paint job was withering away with time. The stairs creaked as they stepped to the entrance and Sakura's mind went haywire with images of caskets and linen-lined coffins lying far and wide – ubiquitous and essential. The spider webs on every ceiling, pentagrams drawn in blood, flaming candles oozing wax. Decaying corpses in every room, limbs and blood.

Death. Everywhere.

The perfect vampire house, she imagined.

A chill ran down her spine.

"I'll go ahead and bring Sasuke to his room," Neji called out, entering before them. "Don't wait up." He walked into the teeming darkness and he vanished into the black unknown of the Uchiha Manor. And Sasuke was then gone out of her sights, just like that.

"Sakura, you comin' in?" Naruto held the door open with his foot. She hesitated, but the hinges creaked terribly as she closed the door behind her. She heard hallow footsteps grow faint, but she stood planted, terrified of what could be right in front of her.

"I…can't see anything…"

"Oh, right. Hahaha. Sorry, forgot you were human for a sec." A snap, the lights flickered on and settled to a glistening shine. "There we go."

She froze. There we go, indeed.

Polished marble floors were under her feet. Not heaps of gory insides, shredded skin, or rotting flesh. Patterned. _Expensive_. Marble floors.

The house was as deceiving as the person who owned it.

"We don't really use the lights much 'cause we can kinda see in dim lighting," Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "So, uh, sorry if they're sorta shitty."

The foyer greeted her with a sparking crystal chandelier; it touched a chapel-high ceiling that seemed light-years away. The crystal branches reached down to earth, so close, she could almost reach up to feel them. A massive staircase was beyond the lighting fixture, a scene worthy of a royal palace. Or maybe this _was_ a royal palace; the sheer enormity of the house was staggering.

The beauty of it was out of this world.

There was no way in hell this place, or anything within it, could be "sorta shitty."

Sakura was too captivated to respond.

"Sooo…I'll be out back if ya need me," Naruto offered with Kakashi still unconscious on his shoulder. "Take a look around and if you get lost, just scream or something. I'll hear ya, no problem."

"Right…scream...sure."

He became a rushed blur and disappeared, leaving her alone to take in the space for herself.

Sakura didn't know where to go first; which part of Sasuke's domain deserved the pleasure of her company? An impressive archway led to a plush, carpeted room on the right and another equally-impressive archway led to a lavished dining room to the left.

But then again, those stairs looked so inviting.

Sakura placed a finger on the intricately carved banister as she ascended; no hint of dust anywhere. She stopped at the second floor and saw the staircase continued for another two stories – jaw-dropping. From where she stood, an expertly detailed oil painting trapped her eyes. It hung above the front door and it was double in size.

Sheathed behind thick glass, bordered by an onyx frame. A firm, stoic man sat on a velvet throne. His legs were crossed and his face screamed with power and supremacy – like a king. The only things missing were his crown and scepter. There was a stunning woman standing beside his throne; her petite hand rested on the man's shoulder. She had flowing black hair that made Sakura feel a twinge of jealousy. No doubt, she was his queen. Her subtle smile was brightest part of the painting. A young man stood on the other side with a face that matched his father, but hair that matched his mother; he had the face of a prince.

Then, in front of the young man, there was a boy – a boy who stared back with eyes that flowed with ephemeral life. In the portrait, he was fair-skinned, but nowhere near as pale as the rest of his family. Nowhere near his current, older, cheerless self. There was something more _human_ about him back then. The slight flush in his cheeks, the humanity in his smile. Whatever happened, he was a seemingly perfect blend of a beautiful bloodline.

He still is.

And this was Sasuke's world.

Sasuke's family.

A clan of beautiful murders.

'_I wonder if I'll run into them,'_ Sakura thought, now cautious of where she treaded. She entered an expansive hallway, wide-eyed and marveled. The spotless flooring withstood her worn-out sneakers and she caught her reflection in the tiles' shine. Coral hair exceedingly unkempt, tired bags pulling at the bottoms of her eyes. The black blood crusting onto her plain, maroon sweater.

Among the curtained walls, the countless paintings, the antiques, the riches, the gold.

She did not belong here, in this house.

Or anywhere close to it.

_I wonder if they'd even like me…_

.

In less than an hour, aimless wandering turned into panicked strides.

_Am I walking around in circles?_

Sakura recalled taking a left past an exotic potted plant, then a right at a grotesque statue, and then another left into a corridor covered with intricate rugs. When she saw the same statue in her way, her inner compass spun wildly out of control.

_I seriously need a map to this place…_

After feeling a wave of stress, she saw a set of double doors stood welcoming her to come through.

'_What are the chances of a map being in here…,'_ she thought dryly, reaching for the handle. So far, she has seen at least four vacant guest rooms, three pristine bathrooms, two sumptuous sitting rooms, but this was her favorite room by far.

The study.

The entire room was dim, but she expected nothing less. Sakura followed the path of a deep-burgundy runner that stretched straight ahead. Towers of books, ageless archives of the past, flanked her as she went. At the end of the carpeted trail, there was a sturdy desk accompanied by a velvet throne, the king's throne from the portrait. It was more impressive in person.

"Wow, I _would_ find you in the library," Naruto laughed playfully, closing the doors behind him. He slapped his palms together, implying a job well done. "You really are a nerd, Sakura."

"Can it, Naruto. You obviously don't understand the magic of a good book if you can't enjoy the library," she retorted, inspecting the collection with wondrous eyes.

"Yeahhh, you got me. Books aren't my thing," he sighed, falling onto the velvet-cushioned windowsill. "I'm more a video game person myself, but wha'ever."

He saw her light up like a kid in a candy store when she cracked open a book. Her glistening eyes moved in quick-time, taking in every word with rushing excitement. In a beat, she would place it back on the shelf and look for another one to skim through. Naruto tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you like books so much?"

Sakura raised her gaze from a worn-out journal before answering. "Hmm, I guess books are an escape for me," she stated, flipping through browning pages. "For a while, I don't have to be Sakura… I don't have to be _me_. I don't have to deal with all the drama or school work or stress. It's an escape. It's…an amazing thing, Naruto."

He found himself smiling. "You know…Sasuke likes spending a lot of time in here, too."

"He does?" For some reason, that was a shock to her.

"Yup, he's sits in that chair every day, except when he's getting his butt kicked by me in video games, hahaha!" His laugh was booming and wholesome; for that reason, it made an even bigger impact when it diminished faster than expected. The light in his eyes turned off.

"I never really got why he'd be up here all the time, but maybe it's like you said. Maybe Sasuke needed an escape…"

All of a sudden, the air shifted between them. Sakura has never seen Naruto so serious before. The expression on his face was tugging at her heartstrings and she could only imagine why. She flipped a page from an ancient medical journal, but found herself losing concentration. She tried not to think too much of it, about Sasuke's need for an escape. Because what did that even mean? He was and will be young and beautiful for centuries to come. He lives in a palace with riches on top of riches on top of even more riches. He has a stunning family and a circle of friends. Sure, he had his issues, but all vampires did.

He wasn't alone.

So, why would he possibly want an escape from such a perfect existence?

"Ne, Sakura. Did he ever tell you… that he tried to kill himself?"

"What?" she gasped, colors draining from her face the second he spoke. She was unable to picture it. And would never want to bring herself to. The gravity of his words kept her frozen in time and space. Then, the thud of her book hitting the ground brought her back to life.

"I know what you're thinking. 'Sasuke would never do that! He's too proud.' That's funny 'cause that's what I thought too. That's what everyone thought…" With a downcast look, Naruto gripped the cushions underneath him. "That's why I stay here – so he doesn't do anything stupid. I know it looks like it should be the other way around–"

Her eyes were wide with fear. "W-Why are you telling me this… all of a sudden…"

"Because I think you should know, Sakura…," he answered delicately. "Sasuke's _broken_. He's _so messed up_. And I don't mean just today. He's been like this ever since…" He choked on his thought. "It's like he forgot what it was like to be normal."

"_You can't fix what isn't broken. This is who I am."_

"His damage is a part of him now and it has been for a really long time," Naruto said sincerely. Sakura swallowed hard. "And I don't know what's been going on between you guys, today or for the past few months…But I think you can help him. I _really_ think you can make him better. But to fix him, you gotta know what the pieces are, right?"

"C'mon, Naruto. I think Sasuke made it perfectly clear that he doesn't want help," Sakura said sullenly, picking the journal off the floor. "From anyone."

"Bah! Don't let him get to you; it's like you said! He _does_ need our help. His head is too far up his ass to admit it."

"Okay, but I tried to help him. And granted, it _was_ working for a while… but he's unpredictable. He just went berserk and exploded into this crazy, psychotic mass of angry emotion."

"See? He's jealous! That's a good start!"

Sakura laughed bitterly. "_'Good start'_? And I never said it was jealousy…"

"Did you see the way he kicked my chair? The bastard RAGED with jealousy. And when he gets like that, that's Sasuke-speak for 'I care about you.' And it's _pret-ty_ obvious he cares." Naruto winked.

"Naruto…," Sakura sighed, feeling her face growing hot.

"Listen, I _tried_ helping him too, for _years, _and no progress. Nada, absolutely nothing. And then the second you walk in, BAM, he's all over you! He's done listening to me. But you're like a breath of fresh air. No one _ever_ tries to stand up to him, besides me, of course."

"I think you're giving me too much credit." Sakura returned the journal to the book shelf and took a seat by the window. Naruto reached over and grabbed her by the shoulders. He stared into her emerald eyes with such driven ardor.

"Just try, Sakura. Tryyy."

"I did tr–"

"Try harder," he urged.

"But I did! Do you know how frustrating this is?" she countered, her voice strained and rising. "I want to help and I try over and over again to reach him, but he doesn't want to let me in."

"Then force your way in!" Naruto jumped up and cheered with passion. "You can do it. It'll work, believe it!"

"How do you know?" she asked, questioning the boy's determined certainty. "Unless you can predict the future, I doubt that you'd possibly know–"

"Because ever since he met you, he stopped locking himself up in here. He doesn't need books anymore, 'cause he has you," Naruto spoke, resolve melting around him:

"You're his escape, Sakura!"

She froze.

"And he doesn't want to be _that guy _anymore. He WANTS to change and he wants YOU to help him, but he can't say it out loud because he's too much of a _self-important asshole_, as someone very wise once put it."

Sakura rested her head against the chilled glass and absorbed Naruto's request. Four stories below them, in the midst of the frost, she could see the scene replaying in front of her: Kakashi, armed and deadly. Sasuke, damaged before the encounter even began. And then here she came, rushing in and standing before him. Defending him. Protecting him. Saving him?

"_I can fix you!"_

Sakura placed her hand on the window and felt the moment slip away.

_But… can I really?_

"Ya know, you're a lot stronger than you think," Naruto said, half way out the door. She didn't even realize he left his spot. "Not everyone could handle the shit you had to go through. You really aren't like most people, Sakura, and I think that bastard knows it.

You just gotta remind him some more."

* * *

><p>Hinata was starting to hate hospitals. And that was an amazing feat in itself because she rarely hated anything. She watched anxiously as the doctor assessed Lee's wounds. The ligaments in his wrists were torn. Cheekbone, shattered from a massive blow to the face. Hints of frostbite on his fingers and toes.<p>

"We're prepping him for surgery," Tsunade reported, monitoring his colorful vitals displayed on the monitor. "His face…"

"It's…bad, isn't it?" Hinata spoke softly.

"_Worse_. It's like someone took a hammer and beat him in the face with it…" _Even if we both know that's not what happened here_. Tsunade sidestepped the nurses wheeling the patient into the hall. When they were out of earshot, she closed the door and talked through a whisper. "Are you sure hunters were involved in this?"

"Y-Yes."

"And holy water was involved?"

She nods.

"I never thought I'd see the day…the Unit and the Church, working together." Tsunade's face scrunched up in disapproval. With the two leading organizations in vampire destruction working together, this only made her life, and everyone else's, that much harder.

"What should we do?"

"Prepare ourselves," she stated with an overwhelming amount of authority and trepidation. Hinata shuddered as she watched a woman who seemed so strong and unshakable act like the end of the world was staring them in the eye.

Tsunade's thoughts were scrambling.

"Holy water corrodes still cells like no other acid on Earth. It can spread throughout the body, delaying recovery to the point where recuperation may not even be an option. It can travel through life-plasma and funnel into the heart… or so I've heard. I've never seen it being used before."

"But this is all just speculation," Hinata said, trying to bring some hopefulness into the room. "Sasuke…could still live, right?"

"Depends on the wound," she said painfully, as if she were the one shot in the chest. "Depends on how deep, how close it is to the heart, how long the stake's been lodged in his body. The prognosis… isn't favorable." Tsunade lowered her gaze. "It's certainly a possibility, Hinata… and I don't know if there's anything I can d–"

"B-but when I got there, the stake was pulled out! And, and it missed his heart by a few inches, I-I don't know how deep…but…," Hinata held back a sob and heard her voice turn into desperate pleas. "I-If Sasuke expires, Sakura would be…"

Eternally heartbroken, plagued with everlasting sorrow. She would forever be known as the girl who made a fatal mistake, the girl who fell in love with a vampire.

Tsunade already knew what would happen if Sasuke passed. It would destroy Sakura.

It would ruin her.

And in the silence, they both vowed they would never let that happen. The woman straightened her posture in a vain attempt to hide the grief. She slowly asked, "Is Sakura with him?"

Hinata sniffled. "I-I think so…" Then with a thought came a smile. "Sakura's…always with him."

"…Then I don't think he'll expire any time soon."

* * *

><p>The Escape<p>

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**Please Review.**


	19. The Perfectionist

_Fuck. _

_I think I'm dying…_

Sasuke writhed beneath his blood-stained sheets the minute he awoke. Carefully, he raised his arm, acknowledged the shock that sliced at his chest, and cringed at the amount of plasma that drenched his blackened fingers. His parka, which was weakly tied around his chest, was threadbare and terrible. Bandages would be great, he figured, but they were nowhere in sight and he'd be damned if he moved from his position. He was addled after betting on a quick recovery, but his current state was anything but. His mind was obscured, having already forgotten how long he's been down or half of the day's events. His entire frame trembled violently to lower his arm.

The pain was a good reminder.

…_Expiring._

Even with his eyes open, he barely felt conscious, stuck in a reverie of blazing soreness, misery and hacked memories that bothered him senseless.

_No. I can't expire..._

Memories filled him, ones that still haunted him like a phantom, followed him like a shadow. They existed in his world and in his head, a hell he could never escape. Sharp nails dung into the scorched skin of his hands, balled fists, as a storm of old faces infected his vision. His father. His mother.

His brother.

_I can't. Not now._

_I need…_

Love. Life. Perfection.

_Something…_

His claws began to puncture deeper into flesh as his fists grew tighter. His teeth, bared and pointed, clenched and grinded in newborn frustration. For some reason unbeknownst to him, behind all the wicked reflections and dreary recollections that tarnished his mind –

A quick spark of pink ran through.

And a saccharine taste settled on his lips and a soft itch sparked at his fingertips. He shut his eyes to keep it there, to keep her there. The light that pulled him away from the hell inside of head. The light that blinded him.

_Stay. _

_Just a little longer…_

But behind his lids, the light faded to black.

And that was how it was meant to be.

* * *

><p>[19] The Perfectionist<p>

* * *

><p>"Wait, Naruto!" Sakura projected from across the room to the boy ready to leave. Her voice lowered as her eyes locked on her feeble human hands. "Can you hear me out for a second?"<p>

He halted mid-stride.

"I think it's safe to say that not all vampires are miserable," she stated, grabbing his attention. "I noticed that you, Neji, and Hinata are perfectly fine as vampires – content even. But Sasuke…" Lost in thought, she faltered. The more she thought about _him_, the more powerless she felt because Sasuke's evolving desires screamed for something beyond her blood and now she, alone, was barely enough to pacify him.

It terrified her.

Was she really no longer the prime medication to his madness?

"He always seems desperate for something… It's complicated, but I thought I was good enough for him, as if I was the only thing he needed," she said in dreamy sorrow. "But I'm not. My blood isn't the only thing he's after…"

Her heart constricted as she envisioned his face. As of late, he _was_ aching for something more.

But for what? – A question that seemed to haunt her all day.

Naruto squirmed uneasily and that was the only answer she needed.

"You know something," Sakura accused under her breath; hushed hostility accented her blow. "Then can you at least tell me _why _is he's so unhappy? I know he has anger issues, but something tells me that's just scratching the surface…"

Naruto produced a dismal sigh. "It's kind of a long story, Sakura… and we don't really talk about it."

"Who's we?"

"Everyone," Naruto answered morosely. "We all have our own shit to deal with, goes with the whole vampire thing. But Sasuke…man, his past is just… Life's been a bitch to him and that's me putting it nicely." His body language cried with words that his lips strayed away from. "Let's just say something happened and he's been off his rocker ever since."

"And this _something_ is the reason Sasuke attempted suicide, right?" It was strange to think just one, single instance in his wonderfully dazzling life could ruin his entire being. She received a troubled nod regardless. "I'm not buying it, Naruto. That doesn't sound like Sasuke at all."

"The Sasuke in the past was much more human," he insisted, ending back in his seat and proceeding with monumental discomfort. "He had _feelings_, Sakura: real, human emotions. But ever since _that day_, he turned them off. Like a light. And he just tossed them in the trash and forgot about 'em." He leaned in and sent her a look, as if to warn her. "The Sasuke now…is a giant faker. Don't let him trick you 'cause the bastard has a damn good poker face. This isn't the real him."

"A fake…," she whispered bleakly.

"We vampires should have _some_ emotions left because we keep our memories from our human lives. And since everything's super sensitive – like our sense of smell, taste, touch – emotions should be too. But Sasuke only goes from pissed to super pissed and then…nothing. _It's not normal_," Naruto emphasized, waving wildly. "But I never said anything about his past because, sometimes, even I don't wanna believe it. If you knew how messed up he really is, you'd might give up on him, too."

_Like how Sasuke gave up on himself..._

Sakura bit her lip at the thought.

"Damn it, just help him, okay?"

Sakura fell deeper into the cushions and touched the pit of her neck, visibly distressed. At times like these, she missed playing with her necklace, a ritual that calmed her nervous tics. And the nerves were certainly alive.

"…Can you tell me what happened that day?" Sakura asked softly, scratching at a necklace that wasn't there. "I know you're not comfortable talking about, but please, tell me, Naruto. I thought you wanted me to learn more about him so I can help. And honestly, I want to know more, too."

Her vile curiosity was getting the best of her again. Pushing the subject meant tumbling further into a scarred life and it took all the courage she had to take another step forward after seeing him in the middle his darkest hour, possessed with hellish vehemence that seemed unachievable even for the undead.

And yet, Sakura knew that that possessed soul wasn't the Sasuke she fell for – the one who, in her eyes, still had hints of humanity and sincere emotion sheathed under denial and enmity. The monster that stood in the field today was a side of him that reeked with grotesque cravings that went beyond human understanding. Even Naruto barely grasped the evilness in its entirety, but grasped it better than she did.

"You sure you can handle it? It's not pretty…"

"If I'm willing to take a stake to the heart, I think I can handle a little story time."

"That's true," he admitted. A hopeful shine flashed in his eyes for an instant, then something sinister appeared. "But I gotta warn you, it's not the kind of story you'd see in books, you know… This is the kind of reality you'd want to escape from."

She pressed her back onto icy glass and eyed the courtyard stories below them. She mentally prepared herself for a new perspective on the underworld of her prince charming.

His dark roots. His past.

The day everything went wrong.

"I'm ready."

* * *

><p><em>It was painful. <em>

_Not breathing was extremely painful. The burn in your lungs. The yearning for air. But with dormant poison wading in his blood, he would have to get used to it. A life without air would become his new existence._ _Days without sleep would become his new routine. A diet with of red would become his new purpose. _

_The dawn of a new day was just over the horizon._

_He was ready to grasp it and take it for himself._

_But for now, he just had to manage keeping still. Posing. And not breathing._

"_And… we're done."_

_Sasuke, losing his postured and rigid pretense, finally exhaled and welcomed the healthy color returning to his face. His lungs took in the warm, summer air streaming in from the open window behind him. The anxious boy turned to his mother and smiled at her. She nodded and on cue, he moved from his designated spot to get a view of the portrait._

"_What do you think?" asked a man, a hired hand, armed with a paintbrush and a rainbow palate. The masterpiece was covered with brushstrokes and an aptness of detail and color. It was a powerful piece for a powerful family. It was perfection in an art form._

"_It's nice," Mikoto, his mother, said for him before he could take in a breath to answer. Her voice was velvety soft whenever she spoke. "How about you, dear? Do you like it?" _

_The intimidating man, the centerpiece of the portrait, rose from his throne and scrutinized the painting with severe eyes. Patronizing and firm, Fugaku Uchiha was a man who was hard to please. Even as he took in every rich, precise stroke of this piece of brilliance, he held a deep frown. Sasuke personally knew how vital a few affirmative words were, especially if they were uttered by his father; they were rare, but meaningful and he undoubtedly lived for them. The boy stood wordlessly under his father's shadow and waited for his critical approval. It seemed like centuries passed when the intense atmosphere was released._

"_Hang it above the doorway." _

_The artist, thrilled beyond his years, complied and carried the enormous piece out of the room._

"_Come, Mikoto. We have guests to entertain," Fugaku said, his voice fading as he sauntered towards the hall. Sasuke caught the sideways glance his father shot at him and he hoped it meant more than a few words could explain. The man gave a slight nod and Sasuke felt his heart welt up with glee. _

"_Of course," the woman responded obediently. Before trailing, Mikoto bent over to face her younger son. Filled with tender excitement, she kissed him on the forehead and he backed up, rubbing away the motherly stain. The woman chuckled and combed through his spiked, midnight hair with slender fingers. "Be ready before dinner, okay? Everyone is dying to see you." _

_Her laugh echoed when she left the study._

_Sasuke sighed roughly and started pulling and adjusting pieces of his mane. He had to look presentable today, the most important day of his life. At this very second, the whole Uchiha clan, gathered from all across Fire Country, was in the estate's courtyard. He did not want to disappoint his father – the head of the clan and, in a way, a king – by looking like he just rolled out of bed. _

_No, how unacceptable. Every member under his father's reign was going to lay eyes on him and he could not let anything go wrong. Today, he would become a prince. Sasuke needed today to turn out well. Perfect, even. Like the rest of his family, he needed to be perfect. _

_Today was the day that perfection became his._

_The pressure was on._

"_Afraid?" a voice asked, chillingly close._

_Sasuke turned and watched his older brother return the gigantic chair to its spot behind the desk. Sasuke scoffed and graciously took a seat in the velvet wonder the second Itachi stepped away._

"_I'm not afraid of anything, brother."_

"_You're still human, Sasuke. You should live in fear," Itachi reminded knowingly, taking a consolation seat at the windowsill. "Your life is… so fragile." _

"_I won't be human for long," Sasuke countered, arrogance clear in his voice. He petted the sweet fabric of his father's throne; the touch sang under his fingertips. This was a chair fit for the head of the Uchiha clan. It was a spot he was ready to fill. "I'll turn. And when I'm a vampire, I can take this seat from you."_

"_The title always falls to the eldest, Sasuke. By default. By tradition. And without fail."_

"_It's time for a new tradition."_

"_You really think you can rise above me…," Itachi spoke evenly as he humored the idea. _

_He looked past the window panes and gazed at the revelry from a bird's eye view. The courtyard was crowded and festive with relatives conversing and dancing to refined piano music that swam through the air and up into the study. The tunes hailed from an ancient record player that still seemed ahead of its time and the best money could buy. Hors d'oeuvres, kissed with a hint of irony-red, were served on long, buffet tables along with flutes of wine and champagne. The guests waited eagerly under the vibrant afternoon sky that glistened on pale skins. But once the sun went down, the real celebration would begin._

_On Sasuke's 13__th__ Birthday._

"_If you really desire father's chair, you're going to have to kill me first."_

"_Che, easy. Because after my requiem, it will be an even playing field. And then, I'll show you," Sasuke announced intrepidly, but coolly. "I'll be the next head of the clan."_

_**And for once, I won't have to be in your damn shadow…**_

"_Such naivety…," Itachi muttered, distantly eyeing the guests below him. The ants crawling beneath his gaze. "Is this a game to you, Sasuke? A challenge?"_

"_Whatever it is," Sasuke threw a testing smirk at his obstacle, the rival that never failed to make him feel inferior. His brother. "I'll beat you. Watch me." _

_Itachi's eyes narrowed viciously. "…Very well."_

_A lightning-fast blur appeared before him and Sasuke gasped, human reflex, impressed by the speed and agility. Soon, that and more would belong to him as well. The vampire poison seeping through his veins was prepared to defile him. It would give him everything he ever wanted. The strength, the eternity, the eyes. The honor. The perfection. _

_He was the fruit of an accursed lineage that would make him like his brother. _

_No, even better. _

_The show, aiming to startle and intimidate, only made Sasuke's blood boil with anticipation. _

_At that moment, Itachi looked down at him, like he constantly had since the day Sasuke was born. An intense, burrowing stare. There was a raging, unseen fire in Itachi's eyes. And something else that the human vision could never reach. _

_Something frightening._

_And one day, he knew, Sasuke would be able to see it._

_One day._

"_I look forward to playing, little brother."_

* * *

><p>The chains clapped against each other as Kakashi inched under the restraints. He was awake, but had no power over his body. Limp, numb, half past dead. His arms, shackled and bound, felt immensely heavy. His neck was flimsy and weak and barely capable of supporting his head. His vision was murky and dim; he could only see the orange glow of shriveling candles and the stones under his feet.<p>

The only sensation clear to him was the horrid stench of death lingering all over. Somewhere in this room, there were bodies rotting and spoiling the once-breathable air. The odor was so strong, it penetrated his mask. Kakashi used all his might to choke back the bile slithering in his throat. If they weren't going to kill him soon, he figured he would die from this smell.

This torture.

He knew he made a mistake.

The morning he noticed his target wasn't in class, he knew something wasn't right; Sasuke never missed school because Sakura was there, that much was fact. Because even after hinting to the girl about the vampire's dark secret, she still stayed with him and kept coming back to school, alive. They were inseparable. If anything, Kakashi assumed, it meant that he wanted to keep her that way – alive, breathing, beating – and maybe she would be safe.

For now.

But "for now" wouldn't be good enough. Enough lives have been taken by the hands of the loathsome Uchiha clan, Kakashi witnessed it firsthand. The day his father died, the day he saw _those eyes, _he knew something was born inside him. It was a deeply embedded revulsion, a rage that kept him hunting vampires for years; determination born from a dark becoming. Killing an Uchiha was his means to avenge his father. An ANBU operative, a fallen hero.

And Kakashi never guessed that other vampires went to high school and for what purpose, he didn't know. He never knew Sasuke had reinforcements or allies of the parasitic nature. Kakashi was too blinded by his own past and he even grew up learning that revenge was never the answer, but it was all he had left. His beloved family, his honorable career.

Gone.

It was his fervent passion that kept him flawed.

And now, he was going to pay the price.

"To be completely honest, we don't really have extensive plans for you."

Kakashi tried to lift his head, but his muscles spazzed and remained obstinate. He listened to the familiar voice that sounded sickly sweet to his ears. The man before him had the courtesy to bend over and meet him eye to eye.

"Of course, Sasuke is dying to kill you," the man spoke; Kakashi recognized his face. "I believe Naruto would want to keep you alive, but mostly because you were his favorite teacher, or so he says. And I remain impartial, as usual."

"I've seen…you before… You're…a student," Kakashi wheezed and had a hard time talking with deaden lips.

"I'm the one who brought you here and that's all you need to know," Neji said calmly. He took note of the teacher's condition; he was awake and alive and that was good enough, for the prey needed to be conscious for torture to be successful. The vampire got up and noticed the crossbow leaning by the only exit and completely out of the hunter's reach. Neji detached certain components of the weapon, rendering it useless. For now, it would lie next to the door, the only hope of escaping, to taunt the human for his lack of freedom and protection. It was cruel, but it was all a part of the plan to break the hunter's mentality, to put him into a mindset perfect for questioning.

Then, the vampire thought long and hard about what to do with the withering man sitting on the damp, soiled ground. After pulling information from Kakashi, killing him wouldn't be a promising option especially with other operatives potentially running around; his disappearance would be a red flag for sure and judging by his ardent behavior, he was definitely one of the leaders to their mission. But if the hunter were to walk free, he would alert anyone willing to listen and that would simply bite them in the ass. The only option he thought of was manipulation.

The sharingan.

But first, torture.

Neji moved past the mountain of vulgar carcasses and towards the cellar door. Before locking Kakashi away for the rest of the night, he said, "A word of warning, Mr. Kakashi Hatake, age 30, blood type O, Trigonometry teacher by day, ex-ANBU operative by night. We know _everything_ there is to know about you." He held onto a tattered wallet, ransacked and stripped of a driver's license, a perishing ANBU ID, old receipts, and precious pictures. "And you have no idea what we can and cannot do. So, for your sake, you better cooperate with us. And you can bet that Sasuke is not a very forgiving person."

The chains clanked in response.

"Good night."

Wretched steel slid against the stone floor. Once again, the hunter was closed off from the rest of the world. His mind was a maelstrom as visions of his damned fate overtook him. How would they end his life? How would Sasuke end his life?

'_Uchiha is not a forgiving person?'_ he thought bitterly, at last regaining trivial feeling in his fingers. His fists clenched meekly but his resentment was still there. It was alive. He was alive. And he wasn't going to let another opportunity go to waste.

_We have that in common._

* * *

><p>"<em>But before we can begin our game, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules." <em>

_Itachi glided his finger along the organized spines on the bookshelf. He pulled out a nameless book and threw it on the table. A bout of dust puffed up and Sasuke fell into a coughing fit. The leather binding flipped open to the proper page, making the boy grumble under his breath as he saw the tiny, irritating print. _

"_You seriously want me to read all of this? It's over a thousand pages."_

"_It's for preparation. Turning isn't simple, Sasuke. It's a process. A painful one. And you need to understand it all to ready yourself. You never know what could go wrong."_

"_But I _know_ everything already__.__ Mother tells me about requiems all the time. I don't see why I need to read about it." _

"_I finished the same manuscript before my requiem. In three hours," Itachi stated. A competitive spark, Sasuke's ears perked up instantly. He cracked his knuckles and stuck his nose between the bindings. A provocative smile graced his lips. _

"_Che, I can finish it in two." _

"_Dinner is in a few hours, so I surely hope so…and to make sure you keep your word, I'm having the cats to keep you company." A distant creaking sound and the two felines entered. Together, they hopped up and settled on the opposite sides of the reading._

"'_The hell? I don't want the cats in here."_

"_If you feel overwhelmed, you can play with them. Like you used to." _

_Sasuke raised his head and made a bitter face. _

"_The cats can go. I'm not a child anymore; I don't have time to play with them." His black fringe covered his eyes as he dropped his attention to the microscopic words on the parchment paper. Itachi stepped forward and his shadow disturbed the human's concentration. _

"_Forgive me, Sasuke," he spoke, tone low and overflowing with meaning. "You will always be a child to me." _

_Two fingers pressed against Sasuke's forehead and he felt a jolt pushing him back with a staggering force. He hissed, feeling a bruise forming on his delicate, living skin._

_"__Damn it, you always do…that…," his voice trailed off. The doors clicked and his brother was gone. He growled because Itachi always disappeared. _

_Just like that._

_But instead of dwelling over the usual behavior, Sasuke cleared his mind and began his mission._

_"__The Requiem," he read the first words aloud, leaning his cheek against his palm. "The process of dying…and the art of existing."_

_Judging by the damage, the manuscript was probably written by an ancient ancestor from thousands of years ago, much like the other books lining the walls of the study. The pages were flaking and drying out. The ink was dim and fading. But whoever the author was had impeccable handwriting and for that, Sasuke was grateful. Every sentence, paragraph, page expounded in great, illuminating detail. _

_A requiem, he already knew, was the period between two worlds: the time between human death and vampire life. You live, then die as a human to exist, then to expire as a vampire. It was a week-long transformation experience only for true-bloods, those born from vampire parents. Those with quiescent oblivion lying hidden in their genes. Those destined to a life of sin, hell, and corruption. _

_It was a process that, according to the book, "roused the black blood that deeply slumbers under gossamer fabric of human skin." _

_Whatever that meant._

_It would begin tonight when his biological clock will run out. First, exsanguination. Every ounce of blood will leave his body, making him desiccated and near-death. Every organ will fail, every function will cease. Then, his beating heart would be the last to go, dominated by still cells and blackened by bloodlust. And for the next week, he would face a lifetime's worth of misery and torment incomparable to any sensation on earth. At a painfully slow rate, his deceased heart would begin seeping life-plasma back into his cold, comatose being. For the duration of the process, he would be locked in a prison until the transformation ended._

_He would emerge as a bloodthirsty vampire. Raw and dangerous. Uncontrollable when reborn._

_Then his requiem would be complete. _

_The next week was definitely going to suck, but Sasuke was readily aware of the hell he had to endure and still, he besought death to knock on his door. He would be standing there, eager to answer. Because to go through a requiem was an honor and a privilege for all true-blooded vampires everywhere. It was a gift and a rite of passage. His destiny and his calling._

_It was a task he could not fail. _

* * *

><p>Blank, onyx eyes absorbed nothing, but were aimed at the massive windows facing the courtyard. The emptiness was taking him again; he didn't have the strength to control or resist it. He was letting it eat him alive. Something was missing and he couldn't sleep without it. His soul couldn't rest. Sasuke felt like there was a hole in his chest.<p>

Literally and figuratively.

Neji entered the moonlit room with tools in his hands. Sasuke, conscious of his visitor or not, remained still as night. No response, no objection.

"I can see you're awake..."

Still no response. Still no objection.

Neji plodded across the expansive bedroom and reached the bedside to guide the injured to sit up. Mulishly, Sasuke avoided his help to prove his full capabilities. He still battled the tremors of agony shaking every fiber of his frame, but he succeeded. It was a pitiful victory. His gash, after the lengthy car ride, was finally clotting with crusted blood. It wasn't spewing or gushing, but it wasn't healing at a vampire's swift pace either.

The holy water was performing unwanted miracles.

When the soiled jacket fell to the floor, a roll of gauze dressing unraveled as lissome hands wrapped and secured the wound in the blink of an eye. Next, the lacerated palms were bandaged in a similar fashion. A fierce snip and the job was done. Neji left the bandage roll and scissors on the side table and retreated to a recliner a few feet away.

"I knew you would mess up sooner or later, but Lee of all people? Even I didn't see that coming."

"…Just leave it alone," Sasuke muttered, falling back into the comfort of his bed. He tore away the stained linens and pulled on the comforter that was at his feet. Without any signs of thanks, Sasuke turned his back, feeling the sting hidden under the new gauzy bindings. They were tight, but they would have to do.

A different wound was opening as Neji pushed the subject. "I didn't anticipate Sakura's reoccurring role in all of this, either…"

The stinging intensified. "I said _leave it alone._"

"Is this making you uncomfortable? I can only imagine how she feels, being stuck in the middle of all this. And I wonder whose fault that is…"

"_Shut up_," Sasuke snarled, violently pushing into a sitting position. He hid the pain well, but not well enough. In a second, he crumbled and his vision cracked horribly.

"The two of you are always running off together. What are we supposed to think? Is there something going on there? It wouldn't hurt to answer honestly." Neji interrogated relentlessly. "Everyone's dying to know when you two got together."

"…It's not like that."

Neji relaxed despite himself because anything that went against the Kages' Code, anything close to sin, was considered a death sentence. In this case, being _romantically involved_ with a lifer was a sin, so with Sasuke in perfect denial, that gave him one less thing to worry about. They were already walking on thin ice by giving Sakura an inside scoop to the life and times of being a mass murdering bloodsucker and revealing the vampire world to humans was another sin all together. And along with Sasuke's expressive rampages resurfacing worse than ever, the body count was bound to rise and it was only a matter of time before fingers were being pointed in their direction.

Sasuke placed his bandaged back against the headboard and said, "I'm hunting her."

"I know," In a switch of pace, Neji spoke rather condescendingly. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. Bright eyes, serious. "I was just waiting for you to admit it out loud so you can hear it for yourself. How_ idiotic_ you sound."

"_What?_"

"It's quite obvious you stopped listening to Naruto. So, allow me to throw in my two cents." Neji stood now, knowing it would pinch a particular nerve with the Uchiha. Neji, after being "friends" with him for decades, knew he hated anyone who towered over him, even if it was only in a physical sense and nothing more. It would still reach him, or so he hoped. "I have a theory about this _hunting_ business."

"Keep it to yourself," Sasuke snorted, slouching against the bed frame. "I'm not interested."

"If it has to do with Sakura, I'm sure you're _very much_ interested," Neji announced, discounting the stubborn act and keeping on topic. "Have you ever considered that it's not your hunting instincts that you're tapping into?"

"…"

"Because hunting is an ancient style of feeding, so it's absurd as to why you would resort to it now, especially when slaying is more suited for this day and age…," Neji noted, stepping from his seat and pacing back and forth. "It's also evident that you have a fondness for _her_ blood because you keep going back to her blood and ignoring all else."

"…"

"Plus, it's winter, putting us at our prime and to put it bluntly, there aren't any females of your bloodline around for you to extend your clan which means you're in need of _companionship_… You are a male and of course, you have needs…"

"…"

"And it _is_ currently mating season…"

"…What the hell are you getting at?"

"That it's only natural for you to be possessive and over-protective of Sakura. The need to be around her and to keep her to yourself, you can't control it. And it's only natural for you to be attracted to her, her blood included, because… perhaps, you think of her as your mate?" Neji concluded, stopping in his tracks. Sasuke glowered heatedly and Neji raised his hands in defense. "It's only a theory."

"_Fuck_ your theory," Sasuke quickly shot, nails digging into his bandaged palms. "It's impossible. Mating instincts are for _vampires_ …Sakura's human."

"Put aside your anger for a minute and think about it. We both know it's not the first time there have been vampire-human relationships," Neji reminded as he noticed Sasuke's defenses getting conspicuously enraged. "And as I said previously, there are no females from your bloodline, so your instincts are… losing options."

"So, in your bullshit theory…," he responded with a misplaced, darkened smirk. "I'm pathetic enough to settle for a human…" A long pause and a straight face. "Fuck _you_."

"You say it's impossible, but even with or without your instincts leading the way, it _is _possible for a human and a vampire…to fall in lov–"

"It'll _never_ happen."

"I understand, I could be wrong."

"You ARE wrong."

Neji stepped back, feeling a shot of a murderous aura fill the room; Sasuke was losing control again. "It's just a theory, Uchiha."

Then, with his byakugan activated, Neji subtly observed the shadowed, swirling masses polluting the deep alcoves of Sasuke's soul. They twisted and spun in an untamed fashion, proving the rise of some inner conflict, the continuation of his episode from this afternoon. His face was softly scorching, but his hidden, bottled-up emotions were rioting and clearly perceptible through the all-seeing eyes. His energies were wired and agitated beyond recognition.

Maybe talking about Sakura really was a dangerous topic.

"Calm down. I'm _leaving it alone, _like you said." Neji threw his hands into pockets and retreated to the exit; he could still feel noxious eyes burning holes in the back of his shirt. "Forget I said anything. It's not something to lose sleep over."

Neji left and yet, Sasuke still could not fall asleep.

Sensing his growing solitude, he withdrew to the safe oblivion under his covers. He concentrated on the pain, begging it would throw him into another deadened coma, but his thoughts were disturbing, buzzing alive with images, ideas, theories. All regarding the same person.

The same girl, haunting him.

If it weren't for his unbearable pride, he would admit it. Maybe even out loud. He would confess that he has thought about it before.

Even before he listened to Neji. Even before he raged at Naruto. Even before he snapped at Lee.

This so-called theory.

An explanation for why he really was fond of her for all the wrongs reasons: Her presence, her touch. Intoxicating, undeniable. The taste of her was heaven on Earth, his saving grace. Why all his carnal frustrations were being projected onto her: Her moans and whimpers that throw him into a chaotic mess of intense aches and bliss. Why his hunger started craving something more than just her blood…her lips… utter perfection.

_Sakura._

"Fuck…," he grumbled, smothering his face with a pillow.

It would make sense. A little too much sense.

He really wished it didn't.

* * *

><p>"<em>Damn it," Sasuke cursed and the book was sent flying across the room. "I'll never finish this shit."<em>

_Denka ducked out of the way and folded back his pointed ears. "You don't have to rush, Master–"_

"_I needed to finish it an hour ago_._" It's been exactly three hours since Itachi set foot inside the study. So far, he was on page 823. Fucking eight hundred and twenty three. Sasuke couldn't keep his word, let alone beat the three hour time limit. A task as simple as reading a book…_

_He failed it. _

"_Screw it, I'm done," Sasuke growled, pushing out of his father's chair, ready to leave it behind._

"_How about finishing it at your own pace?" Hina suggested, trotting alongside her fuming owner. "Like Denka said, there's no rus–"_

_**If I can't even finish a stupid book…**_

_He kept his head low with shame and formed tight, quivering fists._

"…_I have to get ready."_

_Back in his room, Sasuke stood in front of a multitude of mirrors that covered the complete back wall from floor to ceiling. He still refused to look at the reflection of a failure. He shrugged on a crisp, formal button-up and seized his obsidian blazer. After it was in place, he fumbled with his scarlet tie before throwing it to the ground in utter frustration. He looked up, finally taking in his image, and watched the resentful disappointment ruin his innocent face. _

"_Sasuke? Are you ready?"_

_Mikoto strutted inside and he watched his mother come closer through the backwards glass. She was wearing a black, simple gown that grazed the floor despite her height and matching heels. And even so, she had no trouble walking gracefully, with poise and elegance. It was second nature to her._

_She was perfect, after all. A vampire._

"_You're not even ready yet," she noticed, picking the satin tie off the floor. "Here, let me help you." _

_The woman bent over as she went to straighten his collar. He dwindled as he felt the maternal pity radiating off of her in waves and he seared under the humiliating affection. With rash hostility, he yanked the woman's arm away. The hurt was more apparent in her eyes than on her skin._

"_Sasuk–!"_

"_Mother, what's the point!" Sasuke raised his voice at her, something he never thought he would do, but his emotions were bursting out at the seams. He couldn't stop. "I'll NEVER be like you or father! Or even like brother! I'll never be…good enough…for this stupid family."_

_She took a step back, stunned at what she was hearing. "That's not true. Why would you even say that?" _

"_Because even if I do follow through with this ceremony, Itachi's already next in line! I…," Sasuke trailed off, shifting his gaze to his feet, ashamed of his feelings. "There's no place for me here…"_

_Her expression softened. "Oh come on, Sasuke… you never know. If everything goes well tonight, your father could reconsider. Not everything is set in stone." _

"_But Itachi's always been father's favorite."_

"_Don't be silly. Your father doesn't have favorites; he loves the both of you equally." Her smile could be heard in her voice, but her real smile was a treasure. "He's just not the type to show it, that's all."_

_Despite her vampiric nature, she was warm and kind; the complete opposite of his father. Sasuke always wondered what supernatural force possibly brought them together. It was a mystery, but even if his father didn't show his affections, his mother did more than enough to compensate. She planted another kiss on his forehead, this time leaving a shimmery, pink smudge in its wake. _

"_What the– Mother!" He violently rubbed at it even if it meant burning the skin under his fingers. The woman giggled again and lifted his chin to look her in the eyes. She was melting into sheer, touching love that threw him off guard; he never knew vampires were capable of such open weakness._

"_I couldn't ask for a better son," she said sincerely. She pulled him into a hug that squeezed the air out of him. "Sasuke, don't ever change. You're perfect just the way you are. Promise me you'll never forget that." _

_Sasuke went still, taking in the weight of her words even if they were typical of her to say. Her honesty gave them power and he still embraced them in secret. He nodded in her embrace._

_Mikoto then adjusted the tie around his neck and took the liberty to straighten the rest of his attire. He was wearing the most expensive suit he owned because he was going to die in style and be reborn into excellence; it was Uchiha tradition to look your best on the last night of your life. And when she was done, they turned to the mirror. _

"_There, see? Perfect," she sang, admiring her handy work. "Relax and breathe, while you still can," Mikoto joked, earning a humble smile from Sasuke. "And remember, we all had to go through this. All the greats had to go through this as well. All the past leaders of the clan. You're not alone. When you're ready, we'll all be waiting for you." _

"_Aa…"_

"_And Sasuke…," she said, her last words before leaving. "Happy birthday."_

_He smiled and in a second, it was quiet again. Outside his window, the full moon was shining. The summer night was young. The anxious guests were waiting. Once he was alone, he sized himself up in the mirror and for once, he saw a glimpse of perfection. _

_It was in reach. He could feel it. Almost. _

'_**Breath, she said. Breath…**__,' he repeated._

_It was a lot easier said than done. _

* * *

><p>The hospital walls were becoming routinely monotonous at this time of night. Lee had been in surgery for the past few hours and Hinata had been napping, waiting for some progress, good or bad. The chief, running on weeks of insomnia and burdened with life, sluggishly plodded to her office. Knowing that mountains of backed-up work awaited her, she entered apprehensively and pulled her mouth into a taut frown.<p>

"Oh, that _can't_ be Tsunade. This woman's far too sober…," said a jolly voice.

"Huh," the woman huffed at the blast from the past sitting on her desk.

He beamed playfully. "Hey there."

The white-haired man, clad in official attire, had a contrasting manner to his presence. He had on a business suit that went unpaired with his shaggy, oversized ponytail. His large frame would have been intimidating if it weren't for the smile plastered on his face. To complement, Tsunade's frown twitched into a wily smirk.

"What are you doing here, Jiraiya?"

A roaring laugh shook the room. "Now, is that how you greet an old friend?"

Nimble beyond his years, Jiraiya hopped down and extended his hand out, offering back her desk. He wasn't surprised to see that her vitality was still apparent even after their years apart. Her long day, however, sucked out most of her vigor and the added spring in her step just didn't seem to be there. Listlessly, Tsunade reclaimed her seat, but kept her exhausted gaze in his direction.

"Sorry, rough day, that's all," she waved it off. "God, tell me you're here with good news."

"I'll try to soften the blow," he said, sensing a break in her tough demeanor. "But damn, look at you. Too much stress isn't healthy. Shouldn't that be common knowledge for a doctor_?_"

"What th' hell is that supposed to mean?" she sighed, lips pursed. "Don't lecture me…I have enough to deal with right now."

"_Ah,_ alright, alright.I see what the problem is_._ Something tells me you need a drink." He pulled out a hefty bottle of wine from his knapsack and presented it. Tsunade was taken aback. Even after all this time, he still remembered her favorite brand. "Whaddaya say? For ol' time's sake."

"Have you lost it? I can't drink on the job."

"Why? You'll get fired? Last time I checked, you're the chief of medicine."

Hazel eyes, narrowed glare.

"Fine, fine. Sheesh, if looks could kill…" He made the bottle disappear and he exhaled jokingly. "And to think I came all this way to be rejected by you, yet again."

"You haven't changed one bit, Jiraiya. Why did you _really _come here? To have some drinks? To reminisce?"

"Actually, I dropped by to get some advice," Jiraiya stated, the serious air beginning to circulate. His expression hardened and suddenly, his apparel started to make some sense. "You're not the only one who's been having a rough day and something tells me our problems are one in the same. And you were always better at this than I was."

"_This?_" A haggard sigh. "Alright, out with it. What's the deal?"

"There's no beating around the bush, is there? Well, there has been an Akatsuki sighting on the outskirts of Suna. Broad daylight, too. No activity verified, no motives known."

"Akatsuki?" she gasped, feeling her insides run cold.

The most cold and clandestine vampire cult in the entire undead world, after years of silence, was reactive. The cult was made up of seemingly faceless opponents to the Kages' system. They radically worshiped the animalistic nature of vampire life and sadistically shunning the more civilized Code that condemned sins that ruined the vampire name and reputation. In the past, the Akatsuki were fervent in their quest to take down the Kages and anyone who was, in their eyes, foolish enough to follow them. The group was powerful, to say the least.

"What on Earth are they up to?"

"Nothing pleasant, that's for sure. But your guess is as good as mine," he confessed, shrugging his shoulders. "It's been decades since the last Akatsuki sighting, so all the Kages have their panties in a bunch. It's chaotic over there."

"And why aren't you included? Shouldn't you be at least _a little _concerned? You're taking this too lightly."

"Ha ha ha! See, _this_ is another reason why I came. You can worry for the both of us," he winked, lighthearted in nature, but the inapt banter was getting on her nerves. "Like I said, you're better at getting emotional than I am."

"Feh, don't remind me," Tsunade grumbled crossly.

"There's nothing wrong with being human once in a while," he mumbled into a tangent. "But I digress. You had more experience with these criminals in the past, so I'm asking for your input."

"Well, with their mannerisms in mind, chances are there were two members, at most, in Sunagakure," Tsunade said, thinking back to her time in office. It was almost a century ago, and even then, Akatsuki activity was at a low point. Nevertheless, Jiraiya followed along. "But it's strange how all of a sudden the Akatsuki carelessly exposed themselves in broad daylight. Surely, they have the ability to remain obscured, so why now…?" Tsunade thought aloud, tapping her nails against polished wood. "They must have something planned. Maybe it's a threat? Maybe they want to cause a panic…"

"You read my mind," he admitted, impressed with her never-ending vigilance. "And if chaos is a part of their plan, it's working. Kage underlings were sent to Suna this morning. They're scrambling as we speak."

"And still you remain calm and collected," Tsunade realized, smiling at her inanity. "I misunderstood you, Jiraiya."

"As a whole, our attention is most definitely being diverted and as a result, the Kages were motioned to stay put, but I came here instead. To warn you. There's no telling where they're going next or what they're after, but I did hear a rumor," he whispered, hushed and hasty, "that one of their members originated from Suna. It could be just a coincidence that they showed up, but…"

"We can't be too careful."

"As you know, another member of Akatsuki came from Konoha…," Jiraiya recalled, sending her a stern, laden glance. "So, here I am, following a lead. Just keep an eye out and be careful."

"I appreciate it. I wish I could be of more help, but I haven't been updated on undisclosed information since…"

"Since you quit?"

"Since you _took my place_," she corrected heatedly. "Rightfully, at that. You're born a leader. The Kage position was made for you. I wouldn't have trusted it to anyone else."

"The seat's still yours if you want it," he offered. "All this time, I've been keeping it nice and warm."

"No need, I have a new job now. In the world of humans," she sighed, eyeing the stacks of patient files and insurance claims. "It's simpler…"

"Dr. Tsunade," interrupted a voice from outside the office. The two vampires immediately turned their head to the empty doorway. Shizune emerged, appearing just as weary as her superior. She took notice of the burly, white-haired man standing at the doctor's side. "Excuse me, I-I didn't know you have a visitor. I just need to confirm your agenda for tomorrow."

Tsunade waved her hand. "Don't mind him. Go ahead."

"Are you still supervising the exploratory laparotomy scheduled in the morning?"

"For a bit, yes."

"And the board meeting after lunch?"

"Mhmm."

"Okay, and that private session you called for on Sunday needed to be cancelled. There's a seminar in your honor that night, so should I move the appointment to tomorrow night instead?"

"Please do," Tsunade answered. "I don't know when you became my personal secretary, Shizune, but you're doing a wonderful job."

"Thank you, Chief," she beamed. The drowsiness in her face evaporated somewhat. "I'll notify Sakura about her appointment ASAP." The woman left just as fast as she came.

On the side, Jiraiya cringed at the loaded schedule but silently commended Tsunade; no matter what setting she was in, whether it was in a Kage's seat or in a humans' hospital, she would be thriving. That much was certain.

"Private session, huh?" Jiraiya said after the human was out of range. "Sounds important."

"More than you know," Tsunade sighed wearily. "This girl's…a special case."

"A vampire?"

"No, but she _is_ in love with one."

"How tragic. Now _that_ would make for a fascinating novel," he declared, fingers itching for a pen and paper. "But a vampire and a human… that sounds familiar. Doesn't it, Tsunade?"

The blonde woman kept her eyes down as something clicked inside of Jiraiya's mind.

"Don't tell me that's why you're meeting with her. Because she reminds you of Dan–"

"Didn't I tell you not to lecture me?" her voice was harsh. "And if anything, she reminds me of myself. This girl… is so hopelessly in love with a person she's not supposed to be with and I knew the feeling. I would never forgive myself if I let her experience the pain of losing him, too – I understand how much it hurts."

"Tsunade…" His spiked ponytail swished as he shook his head. "You're getting emotionally involved."

"_I'm aware_…," she muttered, a shadow of a frown appearing on her face. "It's a blessing and a curse."

"And code-breaking. By allowing a vampire-lifer relationship, you're committing the Sin of Omission. As Fire Country's Kage, should I have you contained?"

"Try it and I'll break your entire face with one finger," the woman threatened playfully, yet completely serious.

"Still scary," Jiraiya shivered; his bones still remember the power of her fists. "'Course I'll keep my mouth shut, call it a favor between friends. But I need to know. Who's the vampire that this girl is so madly in love with?"

"Someone you know all too well. Sasuke Uchiha."

He nearly slipped from his position against the wall. "Jesus Christ… he's back in Konoha?"

Tsunade rubbed her temples. "A lot has happened since you started your Kage duties. Shall I fill you in?"

"…I'll get the wine."

* * *

><p><em><strong>This is it.<strong>_

_His grand entrance. _

_It was two hours before midnight. Two hours until his life was over. Two hours, two hours. _

_Time was ticking and perfection was on its way. _

_He could already imagine the whole night in its entirety. The air of pride swirling around his march as he entered the courtyard. His aunts, uncles, distant relatives with beaming, congratulatory faces. The pats on his back, the words of encouragement. He would be bombarded with retellings of their own requiems and their questions about the after party scheduled the day he returned from his afterlife, his revival gathering. His brother would be politely mingling with guests, more out of courteousness than anything. His father would be waiting to say a few words, his grand speech, for this special day. Then, his mother would come, carrying a splendid cake, homemade and his final meal before his final breath. _

_It would be amazing and nothing short of it. _

_Sharp and focused, Sasuke ascended down three flights of stairs before stopping dead. While at the top of the last set, he glared at the newly painted and highly expensive Uchiha family portrait. More specifically, he glared at himself. By the end of it all, this painting would be the only remnant of his human life. At that moment, he wordlessly vowed to destroy it._

_His human life was a time he would gladly forget. _

_Suddenly, an odd suspicion catapulted him out of his thoughts. He damned his inferior senses because something putrid attacked his nostrils. It was a powerful stench, making him wonder how could have possibly missed it before. The air was heavy, muggy, like smoke. Then, his eyes started to water and his throat started to constrict. He coughed, feeling the entire foyer burning up in massive warmth. Sasuke flew down the remaining steps and was now engulfed in black smog that reeked of something horrid. _

_**No.**_

"_MOTHER!" he yelled, swimming through the polluted air. "FATHER!" _

_Somehow, he was able to see wild, flickering lights down the lengthy hallway. Through the deathly mist, he sprinted, not terrified of death or anything close to it. He convinced himself that he was fearless. _

_Today was his day. Nothing could faze him. _

_By the time he reached the courtyard's doorway, he only saw smoke. And by the time he opened the doors, hell's flames rushed over him to steal the measly oxygen that filled his lungs. _

_To steal away everything he loved._

_**No.**_

_He couldn't breathe. _

_**What is this?**_

_Black fire stormed through the entire courtyard. The setting was in infinite chaos. Painted lanterns shriveled and sparked at the heat. Shattered porcelain and broken glass and spilled champagne and splattered blood. _

_The crackling snaps of the open flames couldn't drown out the dying shrieks of everyone he held dear. Helplessly, they folded under the devil's pyre and perished in front of his once-innocent eyes. Countless Uchiha bodies littered the floor and fueled the fire's innate need to destroy. He watched his father, the strongest man he had ever known, wordlessly drop to the floor. His mother, the last to survive, reached out with fingers, blackened by burns. Her face, wickedly deformed. Her skin, melting off her bones. _

_But her voice._

"_S-S…Sa-su…"_

_The last time he would ever hear it. _

"–_AHHHHHH!"_

_She screamed under a sudden burst of black that devoured her alive. Her frantic tone was deafening, heartbreaking. He gripped his hair and covered his ears, but his soul heard every screech. Tears streamed down his face; he ran to her without thought. Another explosion of hell threw him down and he landed near his smoldered, blistered parents._

_Even if he tried, he couldn't save them. _

_He was only human._

_**T-This can't be happening!**_

_Feebly, Sasuke cried as the last scream died out and faded into the excruciating hiss._

_Before him, his entire clan was dead. _

_Everything was ruined, destroyed. His insides felt lifeless, broken. He couldn't find the will to move. Then, two unblemished shoes appeared right at his nose. Painfully, he looked up to see deadened orbs boring down into his. Sasuke pushed off the ground and scurried back, eyes widening. Heart pounding._

"_B-Brother…!"_

_Itachi ambled through the raven inferno, unscathed and unmarked; the embers obeyed his every move and bent at his every whim without fail. The flames parted as he came. There was something incriminating in those dark, merciless eyes. The intent to kill was obvious, but Sasuke fought to see something more. Reason. Logic. Feelings._

_Remorse._

"_WHY!"_

_Then, Sasuke's racing heart screeched and he gripped his chest for dear life. The piercing affliction had him shuddering and gurgling crisp crimson that spewed from his mouth. His body was accelerating faster, fighting harder to survive, resulting in premature bleeding out. The process, his requiem, was starting sooner than expected._

_Now._

"_Foolish little brother," Itachi spoke unbearably slow, toying with him. "If you perish without completing your requiem, you will die as a human. You will not turn. You will disappear forever."_

_Flames shot out from behind and the blaze darkened every feature of his princely face. _

"_Now are you afraid?"_

_The asphyxia, the heat, the ache in his heart. His human body shuddered with delirious horror. To Sasuke, everything was agonizing. And yet, there was one feeling that dominated the rest. One sensation that was beating him down for the first time in his life._

_Fear._

_Disappearing in the darkness. Expiring for an eternity. _

_Never reaching perfection. His sole purpose to live. _

_Sasuke was staring death in the face._

"_D-Don't kill m-me…!"_

_**Move. **_

_Itachi was coming closer._

_**FUCK.**_

_**MOVE.**_

"_DON'T KILL ME!" _

_Sasuke turned around and ran faster than ever, shrieking as his heart knocked against his ribs. He huffed for air that didn't exist and his lungs rejected their purpose. Hot tears and blood dripped from his face as he begged for his life._

_The human ran back into the mansion towards an underground ritual site that was prepared for his requiem. He threw open another door that led to the stairwell shrouded in black. Hurriedly, he took a step until he snapped his eyes tight. Intense, sweltering heat ignited and attacked his back and he lost his balance. He tumbled forward, down, down into the shadows as the fire ripped at his jacket, his shirt, his skin, into his bones. Sasuke landed on the cold, hard floor and the impact sent more blood shooting from his mouth. _

"_If you were stronger," spoke a diabolical voice that traveled down the tunnel. "If you were a vampire. If you turned. You could have saved everyone. But you…_

_You are so weak."_

_Those four words reached his ears and shook him terribly. _

"_This whole clan is weak."_

_Sasuke, prone and pathetic, dragged his dead weight and saw his brother standing at the top. Looking down at him for one last time. _

"_And the weak do not deserve to live in this world." _

_That voice was all he could hear._

"_This is your purpose. To die."_

_Their eyes met and Sasuke saw crimson, swirling eyes that carried immense sadness, more pain than his heart could comprehend. The vision lasted for a mere second and then hateful eyes returned to black voids. Those eyes, that face, his presence disappeared, just like that._

_But the damage was already done. Then, the echo of the closing door. The stillness of the room. Sasuke was left alone to die with every painful sensation that was pounding into him. He wasn't sure which would take him first. _

_The blaze or the requiem. _

_In a rush, bloody tears ran from his eyes, gushed from his nose, dripped from his ears; his body was purging his system of all his humanity. The everlasting flames on his back made his skin gush with even more red that poured endlessly from his fragile, wretched body. Soon, the boy was dehydrated and lifeless, scared of what's to come. He screamed and wailed, but his ears were already numb to the sound. He wanted to close his eyes, but darkness was already all he could see. _

_There were empty walls. Curtains, but no windows. Candles that barely glowed. Faint music from a broken record. Marble that reflected his misery and disgust. _

_A black room for his black soul._

_He fell into a pool of his own blood and gasped for air. _

_It was painful._

_To suffocate. To perish. To lose everything. His perfect family. His perfect future. _

_His mind._

_No more. No more._

_The torment and despair were too much to swallow any longer. _

_Pitifully, he pleaded with death to take him through whatever method it could. This was hell at its best and its worst. He curled into himself, feeling every piece of him buzz with dolor and death. He cried knowing no one would hear him and no one would be waiting for him when he returned. _

_He was alone in hell._

_Gory fingers scratched at the reflection in midnight marble. He watched his life leave through his eyes. He watched his skin turn white. His blood, run cold. His body gave up, failed, growing cold and comatose._

_Broken beyond repair._

_The fire, like the light in his eyes, extinguished._

_Inching closer and closer until it surrounded him completely, the darkness took him. _

_He never came back._

* * *

><p>"In the end, his own <em>brother<em> killed his entire family and then… he went after Sasuke?" Sakura whispered, holding herself to stop from shaking. "That's…"

"Fucked up," Naruto finished for her, looking primed for murder. "But that doesn't even begin to describe it. I don't know what made him do it, but his bro is fucked up in the head. How the hell can you just kill your whole family?"

"I…I have no idea…" She choked on the lump in her throat and begged herself to keep still. "I just can't believe…his own brother? His mom and dad? They were killed right in front of him. He watched them die…"

"But somehow… Sasuke did survive and he completed his requiem. At least he's here with us now."

"But there's no way you can just go on like nothing happened… Something like that can ruin your entire life."

"That's true, but lately, he hasn't been letting it," said Naruto with some hidden optimism. "'Cause when Sasuke came back to Konoha and when he met you, he was different in a good way. He was a bit happier, I think. For a little while, he stopped thinking about his brother and revenge and all that stuff…and he just thought about you."

Sakura's heart fluttered in the most uplifting way.

"So, you can help him forget because he needs to stop living in the past," Naruto said. "And I don't know what the hell's going on with him now, but you need to fix that, too. I know you can."

"Right," she said smiling, feeling a little more strength somewhere inside her. She jumped out of her seat and went for the door. "I have to see if he's okay."

"I wouldn't do that," warned Neji, walking in with a bothered appearance. "He's not in the best mood."

Naruto snorted from the window seat. Sakura froze, eyeing the fresh, murky blood on the newcomer's hands. Anxiously, she asked Neji, "What happened? Is he okay?"

With a handkerchief, he started dabbing at his fingers. "Well, he's awake, but–"

Sakura nodded once and departed in a hurry, disappearing into the hallway and ready to see him after a long absence of his company. She ran by before Neji could look up and finish his sentence. The boys exchanged looks before a disapproving exhale was heard.

"You could've stopped her," Neji sighed, still rubbing at his palms.

"Did you see her? She flew right out of here!" Naruto laughed after seeing the expression on his face. "But it wouldn't matter anyway. She was dying to see Sasuke this whole time and he's probably lying on his dead ass waiting for her."

Neji shrugged and slipped into a jacket. With cell in hand, he dialed and listened for an answer. "Well then, I'm headed to the hospital. Hinata insisted on waiting for the end of Lee's operation and it's best if we checked on them."

"Shouldn't we be checking on the two of _them_? Just in case?" Naruto raised his brow towards the opposite side of the courtyard where Sasuke's room was. "I thought he was in pissy-mode."

"The holy water might be messing with his self-control, but he knows not to hurt her. I figured it would be frustrating for the both of them if they tried to talk things out. They're both very stubborn and he's not on his _best _behavior…," Neji answered, impatiently tapping his foot. "But it might be for the best. If she insists on seeing him, we should be courteous and give them privacy."

"Privacy?" Naruto arched an eyebrow. "Privacy for what?"

.

The sanctified fluid was corrupting his system. A warm, tenderizing hiss traveled to every inch of his body and it was sickening how easily it was taking him down. He felt motionless, yet out of control. Unmoving, but chaotic. It was disrupting his mind. Coherent thoughts were episodic and his perceptions were interrupted. His mind abandoned judgment and surrendered to destructive feelings, emotions, and memories that were long suppressed and ignored.

But there was something strangely empowering these demented floods of emotion, a sensation that made him feel like he was on the verge of something wonderful, something freeing. There was an element to these feelings – these dark, hidden instincts – which clouded his head. There was nothing to hold him back. No logic, no rules.

Just pure, irrational impulses.

He was losing to them.

_Damn it._

There were soft knocks on his bedroom door, but he ignored it. A quiet calling out of his name, but he ignored it, too. His attention was somewhere obscured even as his eyes were glued to scene outside. Then, a gentle touch on his shoulder, he snapped. In a fraction of a second, he rapidly shifted his gaze and grabbed at the hand.

"Ah–!" Sakura gasped. "Y-You really are a light sleeper…"

"I wasn't sleeping," he said bluntly. Dazed, he stared at her for the longest time, taking in every detail of her face as if he hasn't laid eyes on her in years. He dropped her wrist and his eyes slowly retreated to window to avoid that pitiful look she was giving him.

"How are you doing? Are you feeling okay?" she asked, then noticing his subtle twitches and the massive wrapping around his chest. "Actually, never mind, it was a dumb question." She laughed to lighten the mood. It was useless.

"But it's a good thing Neji bandaged your wound. It was looking pretty bad when we left," she commented meaninglessly, but he was unresponsive and the stillness was eating at her. Sakura bit her lip as she thought of conversation to break the silence. "So, did I tell you that I learned how to properly wrap a wound a few days ago? Dr. Shizune taught me while she was on her break. It was easy, but you need to know how to do it right. And I was thinking of taking a night class at the hospital on days when I'm not volunteering. I know, I know, it's like I'm practically living there, right? I remember you said that to me once, but I don't mind it I guess. If I'm qualified enough, Dr. Tsunade even said she would offer me a job early, like a paid internship. Isn't that great?"

"…What do you want, Sakura?" he said, cold and harsh, putting an end to her constant babbling.

"I just thought you needed some company, that's all. Don't you ever get tired of being alone all the time?"

The question stayed in the air.

"…Why won't you say anything to me?" she asked sadly, but she was growing distressed. "Even though we made some deal where you _have_ to talk to me, you never let me in. You always keep quiet and stray away from everyone, but you can't keep this up forever, right? You have the chance to live forever and you choose to be alone? That's…no way to live, Sasuke. You'll never find happiness that way, right?"

Even when they were mere inches apart, he felt so far away. Unreachable.

"And your feelings, you push them away and when they finally show, they explode and it hurts you… _and _the people around you. So you always shut yourself out, but then you end up blaming yourself and hurting yourself even more. It's self-destructive and I hate seeing you do this. I just want to be there for you, but you keep pushing me away, too, and–"

"Why is it after all this time," his voice was low and lethal as he faced her. "…You're still annoying?"

He pulled on her wrist and she shut her eyes, afraid of the impact. Somehow, the world went unreliable and the wind was knocked out of her. Before she could reassess, a sea of softness surrounded her and she only saw darkness. His presence was undeniably close, he was crouching over her. Hands at the sides of her head, he kept her down, just about smothering her with a pillow. To suffocate her.

It was tempting.

"Sasuke, what're y–"

"Are you afraid?"

"…No."

"You should be."

"…You wouldn't hurt me."

_God, help me._

"…I would."

Her lips, barely hidden by his covers, moved so agreeably. Her body was trembling under his. Her heart was skipping beats all for him. There was something so right about this moment. He wanted to take it and everything she had. She had so much love to offer, so much life. Things he didn't have, but things he helplessly searched for.

She was so perfect, it scared him.

He was afraid to touch her the wrong way, afraid to break her. She was so human and so fragile. Everything he wasn't. But as self-control was leaving him, as instinct took over, he reached to feel her. His body cried out with pain, but his urges drowned them out.

There was something he needed to do.

She shivered as a cold hand stroked the edge of her jaw. The icy touch shocked her system and every sensation heightened. There was a pressure in her throat and a knot in her stomach. Shadows in her eyes, she still couldn't see that he was inches away from her.

He hesitated.

_To fill this void that never goes away…_

_I need something._

"Sasuke–"

"–Don't say anything."

_It's you._

"…B-But I–"

"Sakura, shut up_._"

_I need you._

His breath of his words, his body was so close. He smirked and his lips grazed hers ever so slightly.

_You ruin me._

_So nicely. _

_So completely._

_Perfectly._

"You talk too much."

_I'm going to hell for this._

* * *

><p>The Perfectionist<p>

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**Please Review.**

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**I'm back.**


	20. The Instinct

"_And _why_ do we have to bring a giant present again? Doesn't he have enough stuff already?" _

_Twelve-year old Naruto griped, carrying a festively wrapped present. It was pricey, just like the mansion appearing before them. It was aging nicely, like the rest of this eerily dead neighborhood, but everything about the north side of Konoha, abandoned or not, screamed of money and wealth and things Naruto never had. Coming from the apartments of the inner city, it was no surprise jealousy was eating at him. _

"_Sasuke's birthday was a week ago!"_

"_Because it's _tradition,_ Naruto. Rebirth calls for celebration. Not just the requiem," Jiraiya commented, trailing and taking in the lavished scenery for himself. The fresher air, greener greens. They paid an obscene amount of money for this kind of privilege. "You'll get your own present when your requiem comes around. I'll make sure to buy you something nice, how 'bout that?"_

"_Ha! Yeah right! Do ya think I'm stupid or something?" With juvenile wrath, Naruto stuck out his tongue. "You couldn't even buy yourself a proper suit and tie!"_

"_It's not like you can make much on a writer's salary. Cut me some slack, Kid. Geez…" _

_The comment warranted an eye roll from Naruto, but they continued down the sidewalk. The old man produced a haggard sigh as they passed the iron gates of the Uchiha manor. As he gazed upon the fountain embellishing their lawn, he started to feel a little out of place as well. He pulled on his collar too tight, climbed up the porch, and knocked on the front door only to have it creak and open on its own. _

_Unlocked. _

"_That's odd…" _

"_Hm? What is?" Naruto asked trailing up the steps. His vision was blocked by the present towering over him. "And what kind of party is this? It's so quiet."_

"_That's what I'd like to know…" __**There was no way we would be the first ones at Sasuke's revival gathering; his whole family should've been in town since last week.**_

_Jiraiya walked on, but the immediate odor violated his senses, diabolical. The ache of death plagued the foyer and rushed out at him, making his head spin. It never smelled so foul._

"_Ughh. Naruto, something's not right," he muffled through his fingers. "Stay here."_

_**Where in the hell is everybody? **_

_Ashes scattered. Debris, ubiquitous. The sporadic skipping of a dead music player. The home began to resemble an undertaker's project with the air thick with haze and passing between the house's interior. Streaks of blood painted the hallway floor the further Jiraiya went; red, human blood, crusting over burnished marble. He kept his hand clamped down on his nose and mouth, urgently starving away the scent of rotting flesh. _

"_Hello?" _

_A piercing scream engulfed the house._

_An answer._

_Jiraiya nearly jumped out of his skin, but bolted towards the voice where a pool of blood welcomed him at the doorway. A suggested requiem site. The atmosphere was heavy, rousing chills along his spine that melted into horror. His vision adjusted to the darkness as he descended the stairs, slowly, into a tunnel of wails and cries. More coats of blood, a slick misstep nearly sent him tumbling. Then he saw him. _

_One of the world's newest vampires. _

_Sasuke, lying in fetal position. _

_Groaning in pain, hunger. _

_Alone._

And starving.

* * *

><p>[20] The Instinct<p>

* * *

><p>"AAAAHHHH!<p>

I KNEW IT!" Naruto howled as he burst through the door – the door to the Chief of Medicine's office. All conversation ceased as three heads turned to face the knucklehead blonde. "I CAN RECOGNIZE YOUR VOICE ANYWHERE, YA OLD PERVERT!"

"Oh, great. Who invited the kid here?" sighed Jiraiya, scratching his head. Ever since he took the Kage position, he left behind his apartment in downtown Konoha. And its other tenant, Naruto. "Well, it was nice seeing everyone, but duty calls." He snatched his knapsack and fled to the window's ledge, preparing to jump down multiple stories to escape the wrath of Naruto.

"WHAT THE FUCK? You abandon me for all these years and you just run away from me?!"

"Hey! That is _no_ way to talk to the Hokage. I need a formal written apology or I'll have you arrested."

"ARREST YOURSELF, ASSHOLE."

"Naruto, can you _calm down_?" ordered Tsunade, stabbing at her throbbing temples. She fought a headache that manifested from a mix of heavy booze and nonstop bickering.

"WHAT! C'mon grandma! You of all people should know what a terrible guardian he is!"

"Do NOT call me grandma_._ And this isn't the time to talk about damn _family matters_! We were in the middle of a significant discussion before you barged in here like an animal! NOW, THE BOTH OF YOU, SIT YOUR ASSES DOWN BEFORE I HAVE TO DO IT FOR YOU."

"Yes, ma'm," they squeaked in unison.

"Neji, continue before I do something I might regret."

"…Sure," Neji complied awkwardly, clearing his throat. "As I was saying, while I was tending to Sasuke's wounds, it was clear that the holy water did hinder the healing process. While the weapon _was _one of the few choices that could possibly be deadly for our kind, the injury would've been at least halfway healed by now. But with the water involved, he's far from a full recovery."

Tsunade nodded with understanding and jotted down notes in illegible writing, something that could be interpreted as a code for her eyes only. Even though Sasuke's situation wasn't ideal, there was still and advantage to it. It is the best and maybe the only time to learn about the unknown enemy and their tactics before anyone else could get hurt. "And how about a mental assessment?"

"After having a_ thought-provoking_ conversation… well, more like an argument, with him, I can say that he did follow my thoughts coherently up until a certain point."

"That being?"

"There was a point where he grew _very_ bothered; a trigger, perhaps."

"_You're_ the reason he was in a pissy mood? I thought he was just being a dick as usual," Naruto chimed in.

"Well, it wasn't the Uchiha's usual brooding, Naruto. It was very quick, dark. Deadly, even. I knew the second I spoke, he was already unraveling. His anger was almost like… a reflex."

"An _instinct_," she corrected. Tsunade continued to hum disjointed facts, reading as she wrote. Then, the doctor laid the pen down and studied the etched information scrawled wildly across the page. "Thank you, Neji. Considering what we know, it can be said that the water in high doses debilitates mental and physical capabilities. That confirms rumors I've heard and several unnoted accounts. However, in theory, it also increases reaction time and the intensity of a response when it comes to certain triggers, mainly _instinctual_ triggers. The body goes on auto-pilot, acts on reflexes, needs, wants. This also confirms a previous hypothesis I had about the nature of holy water: it interferes with the _humanity_ and amplifies the _demon._"

"It screws with the two parts of vampiric nature, setting them off balance…Hmm, now we're getting somewhere," Jiraiya added, sitting in arms reach of the windowsill. "Neji, whatever the two of you were talking about must've really set him off."

"Che! No surprise there!" Naruto huffed, all too familiar with Sasuke's mood swings. "So what were you guys talking about anyway?"

"…Sakura."

Jiraiya coughed out a laugh. "Sheesh, this girl again? She's quite the celebrity–"

"–Wait," Tsunade interrupted urgently, her voice shaded with dread. "What _exactly_ did you say about her?"

"It was a mere insinuation," Neji cracked a smirk. "It was harmless at best because the idea was so impossible to start with. All I said was he was attracted to Sakura, not for her blood, but because he wanted a mate, but everyone knows mating instincts don't work with humans."

"Nevertheless, he still reacted _instinctively_ to the idea. He reacted with wrath, without thinking, to defend his pride. Maybe because you were right…" The woman snapped her eyes shut and began to vigorously rub her temples. The harms of such a perilous idea. "…No. You _are_ right. That would make perfect sense."

"How? That's not how it works–"

"–Because somehow, a very small part of Sakura is part vampire and I don't know why or how." Tsunade swallowed back something vile, hard. "All I know is that you just left her alone with the most dangerous and unstable vampire in Konohagakure."

* * *

><p>A weakness.<p>

It was a sensation so intense, so raw. He wasn't aware of it and yet, for months, it controlled his every move as it leisurely cultivated, feeding on his denial and ignorance.

As a vampire, it was a feeling that was devouring him from the inside. It would slip through the cracks of his naturally cold, bitter demeanor; he would show kindness in the strangest ways, acting without reason and putting forth an effort that would slaughter his treasured pride. But this feeling, multiplied by some holy poison, ignited in the cavity of his chest. He knew he couldn't discount it anymore. It was rising, rising, and finally, overflowing, bursting.

It was in that instance his entire world collapsed.

He caved and he loved it. He hated how much he did.

The instant his lips seized hers so completely.

It was perfect.

It was real. It was her. It made no sense.

Logic would remind him that this was wrong. That this wasn't allowed. That she was human. That she needed to be touched softly, caressed nicely, carefully. Handled gently and fondled kindly. It would tell him to slow down. To stop. To think.

However–

The holy water generated some form of lunacy. It was a painkiller, a primer, a logic-downer. The madness manifesting inside of him was the trigger, the push in the wrong direction. And he was already on the edge. He had no desire to think and he had no desire to stop. It was misdirected instinct taking over. The impulse. It was running the show. It knew what he wanted. It was a voice, so loud.

_Take her, take her. _

_She's yours._

_Do it._

The way he craved her, unimaginable. The way she tempted him, unreal.

The things he wanted to do to her. They were filthy, horrible, and immoral on so many levels.

He was a criminal, a sinner.

A pleasure-seeker.

A vampire.

And just when he thought nothing could ever taste more deliciously sweet than her succulent, divine blood–

_Her lips._

They became his weakness.

Something a vampire should never have.

.

Black twilight entered the bedroom, but the darkness only bolstered her senses. Sakura forcibly embraced the coolness of Sasuke with her entire being and it was utterly sensational, mind-numbing, fantastic. She felt lightheaded with a marvelous high. Tingles dashed through her, down her spine, to her toes. The room was getting hotter, heavier – like hell, but more heavenly.

His body was cold, hers was in flames. Fire and ice.

Despite it all, they were fitting together flawlessly.

In him, every predatory sense was lighting up with euphoric jumps. It was better than their secret moments, better than feeding. Was this even possible?

_Why hadn't I done this sooner?_

He grabbed at her and pinned her against the bed frame, feeling rough and risqué, clouded by want. The air rushed from her lungs and never had a chance to reenter. Instead, his tongue invaded her mouth and he fought her for hungry dominance. It was an easy battle, she folded instantly.

He was in control.

Sasuke ripped away the limp pillow in her lap and deepened the already hardened kiss as he pressed with all his might. There was hesitation, confusion. She felt faint when broken away from his myriad kisses. The room began to sway. He absorbed the view of her face. The glossed shine of her eyes. The shimmer of her cheeks. The heat of her lips.

Her blood. Her body.

All of it turned him on.

"_Sakura,_" Sasuke rasped impatiently, his mouth now whispering on the edge of her ear. His hands gathered her hair and yanked back, revealing more of her slender neck. She yelped as Sasuke eagerly planted his mouth at the hollow under her ear and moved down to her neck, passing his forever mark, tracing her rapid pulse. His once-iced skin that was inching warmer and excited, a natural vampire response to intimacy, to arousal. A sign of readiness as plasma and venom rushed with zeal. Heating up, craving more. Turning on. His warming touch was surprising soft – testing, teasing, tempting. As the pleasure drugged her senseless, she whimpered. And his devilish smirk glided across her skin.

All the spots that made her moan, the places that made her flush with panic. Her weaknesses. He was aware of them and he was delighted to take advantage of it. He leaned in, nibbled, gently, then–

"Ah-h…!"

He snuck his teeth, _deep_, then released in rapid succession, branding untouched territory with a tainted mix of iced kisses and fiery bites. Marking his mate. A courting ritual.

Sasuke moved down to her collarbone, thoughtlessly ripping the fabric of her sweater. Onto her shoulder. Gnawing her arm. Ravaging her skin. Tasting her flesh. Blood was seeping, flowing, then running down until rivulets stained her clothes, her skin. He savored her with tongue and lips and he groaned with darkened rapture.

Sakura bit down to keep from wailing and tried to grasp the hint of pleasure that may overcome the hurt. But it was no use – every bite was scorching and every lip lock was insane. Too rough for her fragile body. The way he moved with her was inharmonious and unnatural, erratic, disturbing. She pushed her palms into his chest in some feeble attempt to keep him, some familiar monster, away.

"S-Sasuke–!" she winced, fraught and frantic.

He paused, a nearly impossible action, but happily allowed the scenic rush to overtake him.

Her lips were swollen, dry, and parted, panting unevenly. Her neck, covered in a battlefield of vampiric bites, began to give into a hideous purple. The wounds, the bites he gave her: bruised and corrupting perfect porcelain. He watched her throat constrict as she swallowed and her eyes spark with an alarmed light. His proximity was enough to get her lively beat going even faster; it was reverberating against the sharpness of his ears and tempting his taste buds all over again.

So human.

"Too much?" he purred with an ounce of velvet mockery. It was the madness talking. "You're trembling, _Sakura._"

"S-Sasuke, no…!"

"I thought you weren't afraid of me."

"This isn't you!" she protested, sounding more scared than she had wanted. "You're out of control!"

"And _you're_ going to try to stop me?" Hot fingers glided up her arm in a deathly slow fashion as she swallowed hard, waiting on his next word – but it was his actions that were screaming. A touch on her inner thigh sent her into a panic. Inching closer to the ache between her legs. He paused. She winced.

"Now you're afraid?" he growled, animalistic, smelling delicious fear as it fused into the fragrant air. He couldn't help but reveal his upturned half-smile as he shook his head, messy midnight bangs spilling over his face.

His dangerously beautiful face.

"We're just getting started_._"

* * *

><p>Sneakers skidded across the polished hospital floors as they turned the corner, heading to one of the rooms on the 3rd floor. The hallways were bustling with life teetering on nothing, too much noise for people who were on the brink of life and death.<p>

Hinata, edging on a dream, stirred in restlessness. She mumbled disjointed sounds, shifted in the gummy recliner in a vacant patient's room. Then, her consciousness found sunshine, strokes of yellow, blonde. Immersion into bright, incandescent lights and the symphony of hospital machinery.

"N-Naruto…?"

Naruto snaked an arm around her back and sat her straight. His voice was shaky and fragile, like glass. "Hey, time to wake up!" It was laced with false enthusiasm.

Weary and disoriented, Hinata intoned, "What's happening…?"

"Hinata, it's time to go, we're in a hurry."

"Neji?" She palmed her eye sockets for clarity and colors gave way into cousin, like Naruto, sported the same anxious mien. It swelled with anguish, frighteningly so. "B-But what's happening to Lee? He's still in surgery. What if–"

Neji shifted his weight on the balls of his feet, eager to keep moving. "He's in good care and that's all we can do for him. His health is the least of our worries for now. Let's go. Sakura needs our help."

They vacated the room and travelled to the main floor, out into the frigid, winter night. Dawn began to swallow up the darkness, but white frost was all they could see for miles. As the car's lone roar filled the parking lot, they set off, but the mounting snow made driving harder than ever. Back in the Viper's front seat, Neji gripped the wheel, teeth grinding. Impatience was boiling under his skin.

Naruto edged forward, leaning in from the backseat, and tore him a new one. "God damn it, Sakura's life is in danger _again _and we couldn't be moving any fucking slower! This is all your fault, you know! Feh, some genius you are!"

"_My fault?_" barked Neji, humoring him sourly. "Is that what you said?"

"Yeah! You heard me! Whose bright idea was it to give them _privacy?! _We should've never left them alone in the first place!_"_

The fear in his voice, it was alarming and Hinata froze in her seat. Neji said Sakura was part vampire, confirmed by Dr. Tsunade herself. A very small part, no less, but that would explain her ability to feel fear with ease, the rapid healing, her regular appearance with Sasuke, hunting her without threat to her life. But could she handle herself against someone more demon than she was?

Alone?

"It was so he could, perhaps, _apologize _to her in private? He would never admit to anything with us breathing down his neck, Naruto!"

"Since when has he apologized for anything in his entire fucking life?! Why the _hell_ would he start now?"

"Because she's _changing_ him! Don't you see? If he apologized, for anything thus far, it would mean fewer repercussions from the Kages. It would mean he's aware of his wrongdoing and maybe he can be pardoned for the sins he's committing!" Neji exhaled brutally. The weight of it all was staggering. "We should consider ourselves lucky, that the Fire Kage is on our side and chose not to say anything to the others… but we won't always be so lucky.

The more we bury this up, the more trouble we can get ourselves into."

Naruto went silent, but gushed with directionless fury. There was too much happening and answers were trickling in like rain during a drought. The hunters, the Kages, the holy water? Sakura's deadly lineage and Sasuke's ability to pick up on it, of all people to choose from. It just had to be her. The only one who could help. And this whole mating business.

"So, how is mating dangerous, exactly?" Naruto blurted out a beat too fast. "B-Because, you know, it's not like I've ever done it."

It was something that happened in the moment. Everyone knew that. Instinctual. Something like falling in love, but more nefarious. But the question still loitered and Naruto watched Neji stiffen at the inquiry.

He sighed, routed. "…I don't know."

"What? You don't even _know_?"

"…I've never done it either."

"What the– Then what's the point of rushing over there if there's no problem anyway?! They could be completely fine and we're just… walking in on something." He shivered at the thought.

"There_ is_ a problem, Naruto. I know that it's dangerous. For a human, especially. The rest is merely semantics."

Naruto leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, skeptical. "And you know that because…?"

Neji tensed, harder than before, and warningly eyed the girl sitting next to him in the rearview mirror. The one who has been quiet since they started down the road. Naruto choked on his words and a blush blossomed at his whiskered cheeks, surprise taking hold of him.

"Wha–? Hinata? You've mated before?!"

"No! You idiot!" Neji wanted to punch him in the throat. The insensitivity. "My aunt–"

"–My mother died from it." Hinata spoke up, her voice was barely audible. "It…_poisoned_ her. It wasn't right away, but…it killed her in the end! She would've been better off…," Her voice trailed off, leaving her head hanging. Shoulders shaking.

Better off without me, is what she would've said. Her mother, her human mother, died because of her father. Naruto's pale blues widened at the thought and guilt slithered through his veins faster than he could say sorry.

He had no idea.

"Dr. Tsunade said that Sasuke wouldn't die as long as Sakura's with him, because if he's just feeding on her, she would most certainly not die and he can live on that. But the other way around?" Hinata gripped the fabric of her pants, trying to keep herself from spinning.

From crying in front of them.

For her own mother. For her friend.

"Mating changes everything."

* * *

><p>A plume of smoke was clearing and twisting into the dry, frosty wind.<p>

Another ceiling beam tumbled to the ground, colliding into the pews below; more lines of wire and wreath tangled as it fell. Then mounds of concrete rubble were strewn along the wooded grounds. As the dust was settling, a man, dressed with a dark high-collared cloak, walked through the smoke and nonchalantly tossed a ball of stiffened blood onto the floor. It rolled, lopsided and lame, to the altar and under the Christmas tree that stood so proud and pristine. He nicked his thumb, drawing forth a dot of black. Then, he snapped his fingers.

Detonation.

The tree lit up instantly.

More stained glass burst into a thousand splinters, glitz and bright in the inferno. He effortlessly blocked the ricocheting pieces of wood, shards of glass that flew all around him. The grey mist cleared once again, revealing the old chapel, deteriorated and reduced to ruins. The building was partially blown away, leaving only the priest chambers untouched. Another man, dressed in similar garb, walked around him and stepped over the wreckage, disappearing.

"Oi," the bomber called out, sitting on the remains of a bench. "Our mission would be easier if it wasn't _this place, _yeah."

"You know vampires are never invited into the house of God. We had to get in somehow," spoke a quieter voice, his redheaded partner. "If this mission is such a bother, you shouldn't have come."

"We're under orders, damn it. As if I had much of a choice. And how would you get in without me, eh, Sasori?" Receiving no answer, he sighed roughly and extended out his legs to relax. "What other way to get in without destroying half the place with a _bang_, mm?"

"No house, no need for an invite. Clearly, Deidara, I would have ruined the church myself," Sasori answered, walking through an archway that was missing its door. "As if I care what becomes of this place…" Room after room, he searched for their target. Deidara remained in the open atrium, on guard.

"With your little puppets? Heh – _With all due respect_, that's not art. That's child's play. Explosions are the way to go. "

"…Are you trying to piss me off?" Sasori was deep into the chambers but, with vampire ears, heard him easily. "Keep talking and I'll make you a part of my collection, you little shit."

"Heh, we'll see! Just get what we need and let's get the hell outta here. I hate this place. Fuckin' holy shit makes my skin crawl."

Aggravated by his fruitless endeavor, Sasori yanked at a jammed doorknob, breaking the lock. He broke in and knew he was in the right room. He came face to face with a collection of figurines that grew since the last time he saw it. His brown eyes mulled over each and every one, identifying memories that traced back to his muddled childhood. Quickly, he noticed the one that resembled him and tore it to pieces without batting an eye. Cotton stuffing and fabric littered the floor as he left.

"Oi, oi! Did ya find it yet?" came Deidara's blasting voice.

Sasori reemerged empty handed. "It's not here; she must've taken it. The old priestess is long gone. She abandoned her army in the back room…"

"What're we even looking for? Some stupid doll, right?" the blonde asked, standing and cracking his neck. "Feh, that hag's too old to be playing with dolls."

"It's not just _any_ doll, Deidara. The dolls she makes are specialized and dangerous. If she knows your face, she knows your fate. And if she gets her hands on your blood, consider yourself sent to hell."

"Hmm, so I'm convinced. Whose doll are we after? Yours? Mine?"

"_Madara's_. And if she decides to use it, he will manage to sever our heads before she can do anything to him. No question."

"How the fucking hell did I get dragged into this, mm?" Deidara moaned, crafting another creation. "So, where to next?"

"We'll find her and kill her, along with anyone who gets in our way," Sasori said with ironic indifference. "…Including them." Standing in the debris, twenty unfamiliar vampires appeared in suits that signified their ties to the Kages. Deidara sneered and Sasori grew wildly impatient. "These foes are so insignificant, it is almost insulting."

"In the name of the Kages, we are authorized to contain any suspicious characters with links to the Akatsuki. Come with us or be prepared to be met with force."

"_Force_?" Deidara cackled darkly. "I'll show you _force_!"

A mass of dark red hopped out of his palm and swam into the air.

"_Katsu!"_

* * *

><p>"St-Stop!"<p>

"Or…_what, Sakura_?" Sasuke teased devilishly, with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He inspected her under those dark lashes, ruinous. Something clouded his pupils, a haze of need and the screaming temptation.

Where was logic?

Sakura's eyes darted around the room, swimming through the night, the incoming sun. There had to be something, anything to help her. But the moment the structure of him slammed into her weak frame, she gasped out. Her plans scrambled.

"God! Help me…!" was her only plea left.

She planted her hand against his torso, again, pushing away with all her might. But nothing, not even a flinch in the opposite and safest direction. He laughed, purring against her ear. The rumbling of his husky voice.

"God can't help you."

He delved in for another bite, slower. Dragged on for an eternity. Like torture. She felt the injection, a poison, seep through her skin, leisurely – what was it, she didn't know – but the flood of desperation was overtaking her, the sirens of panic wailed in her brain.

Twisted determination followed.

"No!"

_I can't die!_

Light from the sun faltered through the windows.

The last effort.

_Not yet!_

.

The Viper pulled up to the mansion, and the three of them rocketed out of the car. The snow, the only obstacle, would have to fight another day. They could not lose.

"C'mon! We don't have much time!" Naruto cried, reaching the porch, ripping the door wide open.

But they all froze in their tracks, dead weight was their skins.

A piercing scream engulfed the house.

.

"I-I'm not afraid of you!"

_God, I can help him! I know I can!_

Adrenaline and something desperate, radiant from deep within her swam in her bloodstream. It was distant, but familiar. Static, electrifying.

It surged through her fingertips; she knew its warmth, like the summer sun. The heat travelled through her palms, the bandaged wound, up his body, his flesh. And it ignited in the cavity of his chest.

Sasuke recoiled from the sudden flame, away, and gone was the clouded lust. He shot her a look of pure poison and just when he thought the holy water was receding, another burst came full force.

Harder than before.

Sasuke flinched as the burn returned in tumbling waves, shaking him down. Sakura watched on, shocked. Her hands trembled. The intermittent pounding of thunder, mixed with the subtle rush of her blood.

Was that fear?

Or something else?

_What did I do_?

"What did you do?" Sasuke jeered, primed for bloody murder. His entire being bristled with pure, rocking fury and he cried out in a pitch that shook her bones to the core. Sakura covered her ears as the raging scream boomed through the skeleton of the house, quaking the foundations, the walls of the room, the bed, into her system.

Despite the rising sun, the air was purged in nightfall and Sakura fell with it. The walls of his bedroom liquefied into the backdrop of black and gravity morphed into something heavy and dank. Something different –

The stench of burning flesh and fresh blood.

_It seems your conscious mind likes to protect you…by suppressing painful memories, experiences…_

_I want to help you remember._

Darkness with every step. It stretched endlessly. It engulfed her.

The wailing cry faded into an echo, a dream and it seemed so far away now. The weight of the world felt so changed and out of her grasp.

With nowhere else to go, apprehensive, Sakura treaded slowly, sensing the viscid blood lap against her naked heels in the pitch dark. She walked in hopes of finding even the smallest glimmer of light, but it evaded her. The thud of her footsteps rippled into the air and drifted away into the hollow void and from a distance, she could hear the ivory keys of a piano, playing a wretched tune, faint, that seemed to come and go like the wind. Then, she plopped down against the next step of what seemed like stairs, unknowing. The dimness was lifting with the help of flickering lights, candles maybe, at the bottom of her journey, but she was met with dirty fog and an even harsher smell the further she descended. Breathing became a luxury she could not afford.

Another scream sent her body shivering. Loud, desperate.

This time, it was closer.

Real.

_You're making a mistake._

_A mistake._

She stepped onto the black marble floor, nearly slipping on the pools of red, holding the handrail for safety. The uneven light from elegantly carved candles danced against the burgundy, curtained walls. Shining off brass candelabras. No windows.

There was a boy too familiar on the floor, deteriorating in a dashing suit, gasping for air. With a tiny flame slowly scorching the skin, the bones of his back.

"Help… me…," he croaked, clawing at her. Empty eyes boring into her soul. "Help…me…"

The single, flickering fire in the center of the room.

He moaned. Over and over and over, the pleas kept bleeding through his dying lips like a prayer, as the living candle slowly burnt out.

Reaching for her.

Needing her.

_I'm going to kill you, Sakura…_

"How?!" she screamed, helpless in this fight. The countdown to his fall from grace. "How can I help you?! Tell me!"

In the final seconds of light, she saw it. A shadow, with bottomless, red eyes the color of blood and only blood. It loomed over him, like a vaporous curse. It was the darkness. It was everywhere. And it was pulling him away. Every second, minute, hour of pain, pounded into a point in a time.

_You should've stayed dead._

_But you didn't._

His voice ceased to exist and he stared at her with dead, bleeding eyes.

Broken and alone.

Blaming her.

She felt it brand her memory, infecting every cell in her body. She felt the rushing bursts of agony, pelting her on all sides. The constricting touch of loneliness, the embrace of death. Everything he ever felt in that eternity of night.

His requiem.

_There's a reason for that. _

And suddenly, she started crying.

In a place that plagued the edge of her dreams.

The place where Sasuke ultimately died.

_And if you want to live to hear it, I suggest you wake up. _

She was in the Black Room, feeling everything, all at once.

_You're not safe._

* * *

><p><em>It was a quiet afternoon at the Uchiha manor. <em>

_Heavy drapes kept most of the sun at bay, but there were still patterns of elusive lights stamping the walls. Exhausted by the unwanted, Mikoto yawned and walked into the kitchen. She dug through the shelves of the nearly empty fridge as she heard the awaiting footsteps. _

"_Welcome home, Sasuke," she called, closing the refrigerator door. "How was schoo–" _

"_Mother, can vampires fall in love?" _

_The twelve-year old human quickly perched onto his bar stool and tossed his weighty backpack onto the stool next to him. He eyed the woman, gauging her body language in anticipation. She countered his stare and found his vast curiosity adorable. Directed towards the counter, she proficiently angled a knife against a tomato before breaking into its skin. With her back turned, she smiled to herself._

"_That's a funny question," Mikoto said lightly. She revealed a hearty sandwich and placed it in front of her son, the only one left in the family with any need for human food. It was time for lunch and anything with tomatoes was on his menu. "Why do you ask? Are _you_ in love with someone?" _

"_Che, no. I'll never __be in love. I'm not stupid," he retorted with obvious disgust. "Either you're an idiot to fall in love or being in love turns you into one. That's what I learned in school today." _

_She laughed as she poured him a glass of water. He talked a big game, but she knew it was all naivety. It was cute coming from him._

"_You know, love isn't something you understand just by going to school. You have to experience it for yourself."_

"_I don't want to experience or understand it. All I know is that it makes people do the dumbest things," he sighed, taking a bite. "In a story we were reading, this boy falls in love with a girl and after seeing her face for five seconds. Less than a week later, they kill themselves because they can't stand to live without each other. Why can't they just find someone else? There're billions of other people in the world. Those idiots. It's crap and it makes no sense." He rolled his eyes._

"_It's a human emotion – It's not supposed to make sense." _

"_This is why being human is so stupid," he whined, imagining his upcoming thirteenth birthday which was the day of his requiem and his new life thereafter. "At least when you're a vampire, you follow useful instincts that keep you alive. Emotions just do the exact opposite."_

"_Emotions are beautiful, Sasuke. Being a vampire isn't just about the hunt. Emotions give your existence color and meaning," she mused with uplifting air. "And they don't just disappear the second you turn. They linger and resurface when needed, so don't think you're off the hook just yet."_

"_Great." The preteen scowled as he took another bite. He quietly seethed in annoyance before his mother spoke again._

"_There is a fine line between instinct and emotions, you know. Sometimes, they might even be the same thing…" She smiled to herself, but Sasuke watched on, skeptical as always. _

"_But to rightfully answer your original question, I can tell you for certain…," she trailed, scrubbing at a cutting board under running water. Her voice was softer, almost solemn:_

"_Vampires can't fall in love."_

* * *

><p>The Instinct<p>

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WOW, IT'S BEEN ALMOST 3 YEARS SINCE I FIRST UPLOADED THIS STORY. IT'S BEEN OVER 2 YEARS SINCE I'VE UPDATED.

And for that, I'm really sorry. Needless to say, **PLEASE REVIEW**. It means so much to me, seriously. If it weren't for the past reviewers, I don't even know how or why I would've come back to this story. I was rereading old reviews, and sometimes, I would even look back at this story itself, and it made me think: "You know, maybe I do have something good going on here, and people actually do like it... why not?"

And if it weren't for those reviews, I would not have been convinced.

So this is for you, old reviewers. It's been such a long time, I don't even know if those specific people are still reading/writing/lurking? on fanfiction. It's been such a long time, the layout of fanfiction changed since the last time I uploaded anything. It's been such a long time, I went to college, yes college hence why I've been so busy. It's been such a long time, Sakura's mom has a fucking name now. HER MOM. When I first made this story, I just gave the lady some random ass name and I had to go through all the chapters to change it because it bugged me. THE WOMAN DIDN'T EVEN HAVE AN OFFICIAL NAME 3 YEARS AGO. THAT'S HOW LONG IT'S BEEN.

So, yeah, it's easy to click follow/favorite or even just to read (which is totally fine too, no doubt), but the power of words, the power of reviews is so damn strong that I literally came back from the dead, and yes quite literally back-from-the-dead to finish this story.

FOR ALL OF YOU READERS. So, this isn't the greatest thing to have ever been posted on fanfiction, and it definitely isn't the best story in the world, but you know what? If you like it, then I'm so fucking happy to give this to you. I'm so happy to give you your own escape for a couple of hours and I hope you really enjoy what I had to offer. It's going to be here for a long time and I'm not done writing it just yet.

So please, enjoy it while it's still here.

**Please review.**

PS. I didn't proofread this (edited: all the way)... so sorry again!


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